before dark
by Fantasy.Author-Allstar
Summary: Christina had already suffered a traumatizing past and has not anticipated just how much worse it was going to get. Moving away from her hometown to her aunt and uncles, Christina had hoped to begin a new better life. A new school, new town, new friends a completely new beginning. Christina had not expected to have her new life include things that could not be real.


bEFORE DAWN By Dakota Collver BottineauNo one would imagine such a beautiful place to be so deadly, a place of fragrance beyond heavenly, a place of colours so dreamy, but there is such a place. WHAT LURKS WITHIN THIS PLACE IS WHAT YOU LEAST EXPECT.

It was such a warm sunny day, almost made you question why you would want to move away. This is what had to be done though; this home and town carried too many memories for one person to handle. It would be a year ago in two weeks when my father and mother both passed away in the treacherous fire. You would think that I would be so sad but yet I can't feel any emotion, almost as if I lost my spirit and soul when that fire took away my parents. Now I'm on my way to some town I can't even pronounce the name of to live with my aunt and uncle, an aunt and uncle I haven't even since I was ten years old. I can't understand why this all had to happen to me but then again I couldn't care less either, now all that's left for me to do is just sit and wait until my clock has stopped ticking and I don't have to think anymore. Only god knows I couldn't wait for that moment, for existence to end for me and no longer continue to linger on for time. As I got into my cab and ventured of f that all I could continue to think about.

The time had gone by so fast I hadn't even noticed that 4 hours had flown by, and I seen the big white welcoming sign "Welcome to Tar taros." It was a place of colors, greens in the grasses and trees, blues, pinks and yellows throughout the sky, I couldn't believe my eyes it was so beautiful and warming. We drove on for about another half an hour and then pulled up to a large blue house with two gigantic white framed windows on both sides of the front door. The door which was white was very large as well, it would seem that everything about this house would be large, before I could even go on to look at the rest of the exterior of the home a slender woman with long flowing blond hair stepped out the door. "Oh Christina" She exclaimed with both excitement and sadness in her face. The cab driver opened my door for me and my Aunt Janelle pulled me into her arms and held me very tightly for a few moments. "Welcome to your new home honey, things will be ok I promise you." Just at that moment before I could speak a bulky man stepped out the door, this is was my uncle, a face I would never forget for he was identical to my father. In that instant I broke free of my aunt's grip and ran to him and embraced him rather than someone embracing and comforting me.

"Christina, it has been so long sweet heart, vie missed you" my uncle sighed. "Uncle Bill the feeling is extremely mutual!" I exclaimed. We began to unload my things from the cab; I didn't have much a few suitcases of clothing and a couple boxes of personal decorative material like my pictures and stuff. Inside was just as beautiful as the outside and just as large; there was a wide long foyer almost like what you would see in a mansion, a long winding staircase and you could see the doorways leading off to the living room, dining room and kitchen. It was so amazing; we went upstairs to my room which was almost the size of the living room. It had a very large canopy king size bed, one window, a desk with a computer already there and my own bathroom. I felt like I was a princess in a fairy tale. "Well what do you think?" my aunt asked me. "I think, I think I feel like I'm dreaming, this is all like something out of a fancy fairy tale movie, it's truly amazing." My aunt laughed at me and told me she would leave me to unpack my things and settle in. There was just one thing going through my head, _where is the TV. _I couldn't believe it I had no TV; I was going to lose my mind.

I started unpacking and putting things where I saw fit, by the time I was done the sun was going down and I was exhausted. I walked over to my window and looked out, my window faced the backyard which was more so a forest but none the less still beautiful. I thought about what my life was going to be like living here, would it be horrid, fun, and dramatic? What would it be like? Just at that moment in my gaze of thoughts I heard my uncle yell supper time. I headed down the winding stairs to the kitchen where my aunt and uncle were both already seated. "If you don't mind, I'm not very hungry and I'd rather just go to bed, it's been a long day." My aunt sighed and nodded, my uncle well he understood a little more "it's alright Christina, you go and get some rest we can do some talking tomorrow about your new high school and means of transportation and such, and after all you start in a week." I was definitely not happy to hear the whole school thing "sounds great uncle Bill I will see you guys in the morning, good night." I slouched and glided my feet across the floor until I reached the stairs and made my way back to my room.

I lied on the bed and just nestled myself in between the fancy pillows, it was soft and warm, so comforting. Exactly what I needed at this time some peaceful sleep. I closed my eyes while my imagination began to whirl and let my dreams carry me away into a deep sleep. _"Follow me young one, this way." A soft ware voice said to me. I began to follow the echo of the voice, through weeping willow trees, flowers upon flowers and fields of grass. When I came to a halt, at a very large rigid old gate. It seemed to be standing in the middle of the field with no fences connecting to it, like it was just there for decretive reasons. Then I heard it again much close though, behind me, I spun around to face a very broad man with black hair, black as the night's sky, deep brown eyes and a look that held you in a moment. He grabbed me "Let go, Help" _"HELP" I shouted, realizing I was still in my bed above the covers and perfectly safe. All I could think of was the face of that man, what did he want, why did I dream of such a thing. I couldn't understand why I had such a dream and one that was so real, or seemed as if it were. I had to try and steady my breathing, I had sweats and my breath was over exerting, my first nightmare or at least my first of ones I could remember. I was bound to have had many as a child but it's not like I could remember them anyhow. I took a glance at my window and noticed it was still dark out so, I figured that I might as well just go back to sleep. The only thing was could I now? I was pretty freaked out now and I wasn't too sure I wanted to wonder the house, due to its size I just might get lost. So I lay on my bed just thinking about the horrid nightmare I had just encountered. The man who had grasped my arm, well I was picturing him again, I noticed he was very charming looking. His eyes had an amazing fierce hold if you stared into them. I tried to think of whether or not I had come across someone that looked like him before, or if I had seen a photo in some book that resembled him, that might explain more so where this man had come from. I had no knowledge of ever knowing this man, so where did he come from. I sat and re-played the dream in my head again, why did I freak out in my dream, he only grabbed my arm, could he have been warning me about something, why did I just assume he was going to hurt me. Frustrated as I was I couldn't get this picture out of my head. I grabbed a pillow and held it over my head so that I could try and smother the thoughts, though it didn't work I did fall asleep trying.

The night flew by quickly after that, dreamlessly as well. My aunt had come in to wake me up "Christina, its 8:30 sweet heart, come down for some breakfast with your uncle and me." 8:30 I thought to myself, "its 8:30, oh my goodness I must have overslept" I snorted out sarcastically. My aunt let out a little laugh, obviously finding my sarcasm somewhat funny, and then she tapped my head "get up sleepy head." I groaned and stretched, searched through my only half filled drawers for something to wear. I grabbed out a v-neck sweatshirt and some fuzzy pants, "Oh this will be so comfy, perfect just to lounge in." I headed down the stairs and over heard my aunt and uncle talking amongst each other, the conversation came to a quick end as they heard me. "Alright now whets with all the secrets?" I walked in and snickered. My aunt was the one to respond of course "Oh just discussing a car we seen in the newspaper, we thought it would be perfect for you to commute with. You do have your license right?" I rolled my eyes "of course I have my license, what normal 18 year old doesn't?" I sat down and noticed that everything was placed so perfectly on the table, was this family so perfect or something yeas.

I started filling up my plate with a bit of everything; I was actually quite hungry this morning. I had two eggs, two pieces of toast, some bacon and a huge glass of orange juice. It was so filling, so much so I thought I could quite possibly take more just due to the taste. My uncle was quiet for the first portion of breakfast, so when he spoke it was like he had come out of nowhere "you should spend the day today checking out the scenery Chris, it's your kind of setting. You would really like it." "By myself." I was shocked. "Well why not? There isn't anything to worry about; this area doesn't have too much wildlife." Bill chuckled. I just gave my response through a nod. It was beautiful here but still something odd couldn't help but sit in the thoughts at the back of my head, why was it that in just the day and night I have been here, my aunt and uncle kept away from me. I couldn't put my finger on it, it just seemed as if any chance to be alone or away from me they took with stride. I thought nothing of it; maybe they just were trying to give me my space. I decided it would be a good idea to take up my uncle's offer, "well then guys, I suppose imp going to get my shoes and go for a walk around the area." "That's great Chris, you will like it, I promise." Bill smiled thrilled.

As I stepped outside, the sun was shining brightly but definitely cool air was flowing. I thought about the sight I had seen from my window into my backyard and decided that's where I would start. I rounded the house to the back and noticed that there was a pathway already set into the forest of my backyard. Walking down the path I seen beautiful exotic flowers, listened to the music of the birds in the trees, it was hard to believe this was all in my backyard but I was delighted that it was. I walked along not even keeping track of the time that is until I realized how deep into the forest I was. The sun light somehow had disappeared, not completely but it definitely wasn't brightly shining. I was about to turn around when I heard a rather large rustle in the bushes behind me. I turned assuming it would be just a cat or something and that's when I seen it, something so fast it was impossible to really see a figure but you just knew when you seen it that he or she was a human. I stared in disbelief at what I had just witnessed, I shook the thought out of my head and told myself _Chris come on now it is just the colors and the lighting playing tricks with your eyes, snap out of it. _I turned around and found myself jogging rather than walking. At this point I was obviously on edge, nor was I concerned about fighting the thoughts of what I had thought I seen, I just needed to get out of there.

I exited the entrance that I came through to get down the path and cringed when I turned around to look back. The flowers that were there were gone, no song was being sung and I couldn't believe what was going on. Walking towards the house I had allot of questions on my mind and I wasn't sure I could ask them to my aunt or uncle, so instead I thought _keep it to yourself they are all going to think you are crazy, just keep it to yourself._ "Chris, kiddo? You look as if you seen a ghost, what's wrong?" "There's nothing wrong Bill, I am just tired I need to go to bed." I started taking off my shoes when I heard banging in the kitchen. _"She can't just be taking off for periods of time like that Bill you know especially not with what's out there- "You will bite your tongue Janelle." _I stepped into the kitchen obviously knowing, that my uncle would know I was eavesdropping "am I interrupting something guys?" The fact was that, I knew I was eavesdropping but curiosity killed the cat right. "Oh Chris, I thought you said you were going up to bed? I, I didn't realize you were still down here." "Apparently not because you know I am all double O 7 now right?" I thought a joke might ease the tension I felt, but due to their lateness in catching on to my little joke; it was obvious that they didn't. "Well Chris darling, your uncle Bill and I have a meeting tonight we have to attend so, will you be ok here?" _What is she crazy with all the weird things going on here, I am absolutely not going to be ok _"Oh Jan, of course I'll be ok. You guys just go take care of what you need to take care of. I am not sure I'll be awake when you get back so, I'll see you in the morning."

I took a rather fast approach to getting up stairs; I didn't feel like waiting around for something to happen. Research, this is what I need to do. Flicking the little switch on my computer I heard the annoying buzzing as it powered itself up. At the rate of how slow this thing was going to take to power up I decided I would jump into the shower well it did. I turned on the water and felt the warmth almost instantly fill the bath room. The door slammed quite hard downstairs, figured Jan and Bill's conversation must not have gone over well or they are just in a hurry. Taken time in the shower felt great, just standing there letting the beads of water hit me and slide off. It was extremely relaxing, I didn't want to get out but I knew I had research to do.

Throwing on my robe, not paying attention, I finally realized just how cold it was in my room. In total shock, I stood still realizing that my window was wide open. _Impossible _I thought _the only way that window could be opened was if I opened it, the only way from the outside would be if someone had a 30 foot ladder. But even then how would someone get it open from the outside._ I walked over and closed it as fast as I could, then took a sit at my desk where my computer sat fully loaded now. Typing in the name in the Google search engine I thought this is ridiculous forget it. I shut down the computer and hopped into bed.

The next morning it was a little warmer outside and decided to go for another walk but this time not in the woods. I thought I would roam around the streets and get a good look at the area and people I was going to be living with and around.

I got about a block or two away from home when I seen a guy fixing his car. It was a pretty nice car and he was a pretty nice looking guy. Walking by I didn't want my staring to be obvious so I looked to the other side of the street instead. "Hello." A voice called from alongside me. It was the boy tall, very skinny, he had a nice blond shaggy hair do that kind of hovered onto his face and beautiful blue eyes. "Hey how's it going?" Shocked to have him notice me. "Ah, not too bad just trying to put some new breaks onto my car. And then you distracted me" He added with a wink. _Distracted him? Was that possible this very good-looking boy was distracted by me. I mean I didn't think I was ugly, average body, only stood 5'7, hazel eyes and long enough blond hair it almost reached the centre of my back. _"Oh, I am sorry to have done that to you." He gave out a loud laugh and started walking towards me. "I am Eric Dubawnt, and you are?" "I am Christina Castle; it's a pleasure to meet someone here outside of my aunt and uncle." I extended my hand to shake his.

"Well then Miss. Castle, it should very much be my pleasure to escort you around town." I nodded my head in response and he put his tools in his trunk then continued to walk back my way. "So, what have you seen so far of our town?" "Just the forest area behind my house, pretty creepy if you ask me." Yet again another loud chuckle "that wouldn't be a first for anyone to say, they used to hang "witches" out just to the centre of that forest- he went to continue until I cut him off "witches are you mad, or ill in some way?" His face turned abruptly serious "no I am not, it's the truth. Back in the 1960's they say that witches lived in that house your aunt and uncle live in now. And they hunted them down one night I believe in 1920 and took them out to hang them." Now I was serious "you know my aunt and uncle?" "Everyone knows your aunt and uncle they are on the city council." I tried to focus as all the information I had just received worked itself into my head. "You know if you don't believe me I could take you to the tattered cursed gate! They say the witches cursed it, there was a fence attached to it at one point, but because it was decaying so soon after they were hung it was torn down. Just that gate, it wouldn't budge so it stands there now almost as a marking to where they were hung. Even the tree they hung them off of, it died and rotted away so that was torn down too." _A gate in the middle of a field, it was like my dream was suddenly basing itself in my reality. Now I had to see this for myself with my own eyes, not the eyes I see with in my dream world. _"Would you do that? Would you take me out there and show me this gate then?" "A spark of interest huh? Of course I will take you out there, which was after all my offer." Eric nudged me in my side.

We walked out about another half hour outside the 2 hours I had walked last night and I could already see it in the clearing. Just like my dream it stood there lonely and abandoned. Stopping I thought to myself, _can I precede that far, will it resurrect a dream I don't want to have again. _"Ok, so maybe I believe you can we go back now? I don't feel comfortable here." Eric took my hand in his and started walking back through the no longer beautiful forest towards my home.

"Are you alright? I didn't mean to spook you; it's something you will learn in history class anyhow. That is of course depending on your age in which I don't know. Will you be attending school this year?" "Yea I'm alright and yes I will be attending school, my last year of high school actually. I'm 18 and will be 19 on October 30th." Eric raised an eyebrow and continued into the conversation, although you could tell he had a thought he didn't act on "Yea I'm 18 too, I don't turn 19 till January though. So is it possible to ask you, if I can drive you to school on Monday, it can be kind of like a date." Now it was my turn to laugh. I let out a bashful laugh "of course you can I would love that." Eric smiled a gorgeous grin said good bye and left for his home. I was disappointed for him to leave I didn't really want to end our wonderful day. I looked back behind me towards the forest that seemed to be alive yet again with blooming flowers and birds singing. It was as if I were making it up or maybe like Eric said I thought to myself sarcastically _maybe the dead is inviting me in. _I snickered at the thought and shook my head.

When I got inside my aunt and uncle were sitting very casually in the living room, "are you excited to start school tomorrow?" "Tomorrow, I thought I was next Monday?" I exclaimed. "No its tomorrow that was what our meeting was about last night. We had the school start date bumped up so you start tomorrow." I shook my head in anger "don't you think you could have said this yesterday so I could have been prepared! So that maybe I could get some school supplies together in which I don't have!" My aunt stood up "let's go Chris, I'll take you to do some shopping now, we still have plenty of time."

I was so upset that they shot this all on me now, but at least I was going to have the school supplies down in time even though I didn't have myself down and ready for this. We walked and walked around the mall forever, the mall looked so small but when you walked around it a few times, it definitely didn't feel it. Out of the corner of my eye I seen something dash really fast past me, I spun to look and there leaning against the fountain in the centre of the mall was the boy from my dream. _What is going on here Chris? Pull yourself together and stop letting your dream come to life on you! Stop being a nut case. _I opened my eyes and he was gone. This was all becoming too crazy for me, the gate, the boy and all the weirdness of the forest. Was I going crazy? Did I need to be put into a padded cell or something? "Someone, anyone throw me a freaking bones here!" I subconsciously shouted. "Christina, what is wrong with you young lady." My aunt gazed at me in shock.

The ride home was very quiet but deep down I knew exactly what my aunt was thinking. _I have a crazy niece living with me what am I going to do? _I groaned and looked out the window trying to figure out exactly what was going on with me. Pulling into the drive way I just wanted to push my aunt out of the driver's seat and take off somewhere but then I knew they would say I was crazy. So I just got out and went straight up to my room. I began filling my backpack with the necessities I would need for school, then I picked out an outfit and hopped into the shower. When I came out of the washroom it was like an exact repeat of last night. My window was wide open again. I walked over not in shock this time but extreme frustration and slammed the window shut. I yelled at my aunt and uncle before slamming my door shut as well "stop opening my damn window, its freezing in here!" I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up and over, most definitely ready for a deep dreamless sleep.

_There stood the gate, clearly viewable from my window. And this time there stood that boy leaning against it. Even though I was at least a mile to two miles away from him in my house he clearly stared me in the eyes. And then with a blink of my eyes he was gone again. I closed the window and turned around "Christina, So long I've waited for you to return to our humble town." I fell back to the ground "how did you- what do you want?" "I want you Christina, you are to be mine one way or another, and it is our destiny." The boy knelt down to kiss me when his eyes turned black- _BEEP . . . BEEP. . . My alarm buzzed. Slamming my hand onto it I heard its curdling cry as the beeps died.

I sat up and stretched, already having everything picked out and set for the day I just lied back down in the bed to collect myself. The eggs cooking downstairs smelled so good, so I threw my clothes and launched myself down the stairs. "Smells great!" Sniffing out the aroma of the room. Eating was something I never usually took my time with, but for some reason I was just so hungry. "Christina, would you like a ride to school today?" "No thanks, Jan I am going to walk." I gave my aunt a hug and headed out the door. Turning around to walk down the street, Eric was standing there leaning against his car awaiting me. Almost like prince charming waiting outside a princess's tower next to his horse. It was romantic and hard to believe but appeasing. "Well Mr. Dubawnt, what a pleasure to see you again so soon!" "Well, now what kind of man would I be to let a beautiful girl like you go to school her first day all on her own." Eric opened his car door and extended a hand to invite me in. The drive didn't seem too bad although we actually stopped speak all together. So taking in the beauty of the scenery, I just stared out the window watching the vibrant pictures pass by me in flashes.

Then we pulled up to the school, it was incredibly tiny. It appeared the size of a large house. "Are you kidding me, this is the high school I will be attending?" "Well yes, what's wrong with it? It's only small Christina because there are a total of 70 teenagers in this town. I mean come on the population is only 300." "Ha ha yea good point!" We parked and started heading towards the school when a girl grabbed Eric's arm. "So this is your new girly then?" She turned and nodded her head in my direction. I felt panic run through my system, _a fight already are you kidding me. _"No Jennifer, she's not! She is new to the town and just a friend. But even if she was its none of your business anyhow, go find your big ape and stick with him!" Eric seemed so aggressive; he didn't seem like the type to be that aggressive. But the so called Jennifer stuck her smug nose in the air and walked away. Could this have been an ex of Eric's? She was very pretty, short brown hair that framed her face, beautiful green eyes and a body any girl would die for. "Eric who was that? I'm sorry if I caused a fight for you!" Looking down towards the ground I actually felt pretty guilty now, had I taken Eric away from this girl. Even though I had only met him yesterday? Eric grabbed my hand "Christina, she is an ex from a long time ago. Don't even worry about her, as much as I would have loved to say to her you are my new girlfriend. I must admit id love that!" I began to blush and we continued to walk to the school.

When we got inside it was definitely beautiful no matter how small, it seemed everything in this town was just so beautiful. Maybe because it was so small it was easy to have time to make everything about this place look beautiful. Apparently there was a class for each grade had one class that taught everything. A class for 9s, 10s, 11s and 12s. When we got to our room I should have known that Jennifer girl was going to be in there. She stared us in all the way through the class until we got to our desk and settled in next to each other. I must admit that I loved the feeling of making someone else jealous. It really wasn't my area because I never found interest in anyone back in my town. The bell rang and a man walked into our classroom who appeared to obviously be our teacher. "Hello students, welcome back to another year of high school and to be thorough your final year YAY. I will start by taking attendance." He started calling out names and I just sat patiently waiting for mine to be called and everyone look at me as the new girl. "Miss Christina Castle" Bam that was my cue, I raised my hand and everyone turned and looked. "Welcome Christina, I'm sure you will found our little town to be quite tasteful, and as I see you have made Eric a friend of yours. A very wise choice." I smiled "yes sir, I do find the town very tasteful, including the forestry behind my house, it has my approval."

"Well, you have no need to call me sir, you can call me Gary. I hate being so formal, I like to look at our little classroom more as a family! But I must say you're the first person to find the forest area attractive. It's been a dead zone for years now, no animals or anything out there." Mr. or Gary had looked at me in complete curious shock. "Well I took a walk through the area behind my house and there were birds singing and beautiful flowers all around me, so maybe it is just some areas- before I could finish my sentence everyone began to laugh at me. Eric turned to whisper in my ear "Christina, are you insane there are no birds and flowers in our forests. The forests are dead, you must have been dreaming."

_But I wasn't, I know I walked right through the forest and seen it with my own eyes, although it did play tricks with my eyes I know I seen and heard everything. They are not dead it's impossible. _The teacher just shrugged off a little laugh and began handing out notebooks and text books. This was going to be a long year of school being known as not only the new girl now, but also the crazy girl. This was going to be great. I laid my head down on my desk and started doodling on top of my notebook, pictures of flowers and birds and music notes floating all on top of my notebook. "Miss. Castle, by the looks of it, you will be a great fun to work with in art class. You draw very nicely." "Oh!" I sat up not realizing I had an audience. "Thank you, art has always been one of my favorite subjects. Just one of the many ways to express myself." "I see, and how else do you express yourself- "Oh we know how Sir, Christina express's herself by sharing her crazy lies with the world. It's a way for her attention right ladies!" That obnoxious laugh rang a bell in my head that could only have been Jennifer. As I glanced around who else but Jennifer was sitting there laughing with her little girl group. "Oh Jennifer, don't be upset just because I'm with your man. Or should I say you're ex man." Hoots and hollers screamed out through the room and Eric jumped up and started hooting like we were on Jerry Springer or something.

"Ok guys, settle down. Here is your first assignment, I want everyone to sit quietly and read chapter 1 in the English text book." I could feel Jennifer's eyes on me, I knew this was bound to just become bigger and bigger. So they day continued on like that, a stare occasionally from someone in the room at the crazy girl, and a constant glare from Jennifer. Eric had written a note and slid it across my desk to me. _Hey, I was just curious to know if I can take you on a real date. You don't have to say yes but I would definitely like it if you did. _I considered this for a moment and though that I would most definitely like that too. I started writing on the same page right below his writing; _Of course I will go on a date with you! I think I would really like that! _As I watched him read the writing a big smile grew on his face and as his grew bigger mine did too.

I stood staring myself in the face through my mirror, flipping different shirts in front of my body, then pants and I just couldn't make up my mind on what I wanted to wear I was going crazy. Then I found it the perfect outfit. My black bell bottom jeans and this beautiful white shirt it was pretty bland looking but perfect in my eyes. The white shirt was just a long sleeved v neck that had sort of a empire waist underneath my chest. I threw my hair back in a pony tail then just sat their staring at myself again. "Knock, knock can I come in" My aunt never seemed to really bother with me so for her to be up at my door it must have been something important. "Christina this necklace belonged to your mother. When your uncle and I got married she gave it to me. She had hoped it would make me feel somewhat closer to her. I want you to have it though; I think it would be more suitable for you to wear it rather than me." She pulled out a blue velvet box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful clear crystal dangling off of a perfect gold linked chain. "Oh my gosh, it's gorgeous! Are you sure you want to give this to me?" "Of course honey it will suit you." She smiled at me then left the room. It seemed that she kind of wanted less conversation time with me more than anything. Aunt Janelle seemed to like to keep the space I supposed between us, why though I had no idea.

The chain was a perfect fit and gave off such an odd vibe, as I placed it around my neck it felt as if I had been filled with peacefulness. It felt amazing. Then I heard the door bell _was it six o clock already? _"Christina you have company" rang a voice from down stairs which could only have been my uncles. I jumped up and ran to the stairs but of course then took my time to go down them so that I didn't seem overly enthusiastic. It's always better to play it cool I didn't want to look like some crazy little girl on a first date. Although the first date thing was absolutely dead on.

"Evening Christina" Eric struck his hand out to reach for mine. "Why so formal" I snickered. He just grinned at me and wrapped his arm around me. We walked out to his car in complete silence; this was the awkwardness I knew was going to come about. Eric was such a gentleman though; he opened the car door and closed it for me, everything a prince charming would do. I had to admit it to myself that I definitely loved it. His car was tiny, just a red two door sun fire leather interior and one of those fancy cd players. After Eric got in the car and through on his seat belt he threw a sly smile my direction "I thought we could go to Momma's its a little restaurant downtown." I thought to myself food, god I really wasn't hungry and I truly didn't want to look like one of those anorexic girls that didn't want to eat because they are on a date. "Why don't you take me up that path and give me a little history lesson?" I suggested. This obviously interested him because he just started the car and drove off with a smile on his face.

We only drove for about 15 minutes and we were at the mouth of a dark path of woods. Now my stomach was a little upset as the idea of walking through there willingly buzzed through my head. "Are you ready?" I think the sound of my stomach must have been pretty loud because Eric just laughed at me then got out and opened my door. The temperature outside was just right not cold and not hot. We walked down the path hand in hand as he began to tell me the history "well the witches were to have supposedly been living in your current house. They never left the house really just stayed in there. It was said that they used to leave every two weeks to go and regain energy from this very forest. They needed natures life to continue with they're own. There was only two of them, Alyssa and Regina. They were very beautiful women that were able to draw any mans attention and the women hated that. During the third month in that house, in a matter of one week 4 young girls had gone missing. An amazingly large search was preformed through the whole stretch of town and the only thing found was the last missing girls dress bow. It was found right here in front of the mouth of this path. The searchers followed the path which only ended at two destinations. The back of your house and a gate with fencing that went around this whole forested area and your house. From then on the town's people believed that due to the only answers being within the border of that house and the witch's domain, that the witches were responsible. The town's people came up with the idea that the witches must have now been starting to take the souls of young women in town to keep their beauty radiant forever. The town's people had them arrested, when they were out of options on how to get the witches to confess, they were hung there where a large tree once sat. It died not long after too, everything in that area died and the fence fell apart piece by piece. The town's folk believe it was because of their last cursed words." "As we prepare to die, you can prepare to die too, we curse your town and every last one of you."

All of the information was mind boggling I couldn't believe it, yet something inside of me did. When I glanced around again I realized we were at that same gate from my dream. I reached over to touch the gate and it felt so unbelievable hot, I feared if I did not move my hand soon enough it would get burnt. "Well I will say it's an interesting story Eric, I will definitely give you that. But do you really believe in curses or ghosts?" "Of course he does" another voice came out of the clearing behind us. There stood Jennifer and her two little sidekicks. I stepped towards them "what is with you people are you stalking us now or something honestly? Do you have lives at all?" "Oh Christina you are not that important to us, we were driving by and decided we might play a joke on you until we heard you telling the story. Thought we should let you know that it isn't wise to be out here at night in this forest. The ghosts of the witches might come back to get you."

Suddenly a whooshing sound whipped through the trees behind us. We all started doing circles around ourselves to see if we could find the source but it was silent. Then again from the other direction. "I told you the witches would come find you." Jennifer laughed. Then the whooshing again. When I turned around this time though I was attacked. _Christina it is our destiny to be together my love, come find me. _The voice was ringing through my head- _please you need to come to me, I am your safety and your only chance. _"CHRISTINA, Christina wake up." I felt like an earth quake hit my body until I seen that I was in Eric's arms being shook around. "Ok, ok I hear you what happened?" I looked up in confusion. "It was Jennifer's idea of a joke, she had one of the guys from school dress in a sheet and come running at us to scare us, only instead the meat head ran you right over. Then they all took off."

I shook my head "if I catch up to that girl she is in for a world of pain." "Chris, who were you talking about trying to find, you were only out for about 2 minutes and you were yelling asking where I find you." "Honestly Eric, I don't even know right now I think I would just like to get home and go to bed." Eric helped me up and dusted me off a bit. The walk back to the car was awkward because now all that I could think of was this voice always calling for me.

Back at the house the lights were out so I knew it would be smart for me to go in the house quiet. "Thanks for the date Eric, it was great up until the meat heads found us" we laughed in sync and then he leaned for the kiss. Oh no a kiss I thought to myself. So what do I do, I sneeze. "Oh Eric I'm so sorry, here let's try that again." "No, no that's ok Chris you just go get some rest." I laughed to myself knowing how stupid I must have seemed. So I hugged him then headed inside to bed.

I was completely covered in grass smudges, grass, twigs and leafs so I hit the shower first. I must have been in the shower for a long period of time that I didn't even know had elapsed because when I stepped out to enter my room I was freezing. But I was sadly mistaken, there was my window sitting wide open again. I slammed it shut, jumped into bed and pulled my pillow over my face.

"Christina" a voice hummed my name. But the impossible thing was that I wasn't sleeping, so either I was going crazy or someone was in the room with me. I raised the pillow off my head just slightly and glanced around the room. There was no one there but my window was yet again wide open. Without me even hearing it get open. When I got up and glanced out the window the boy, the one from my dreams was standing right there in the entrance of the path. "Hey, You what are you doing in my backyard. And why have you been following me?" The freak just stood there staring at me. I waved and jumped and nothing he still just stood there staring. It was a gutsy choice to make but I decided to throw an eraser that was sitting on my desk at him. And to who's surprise he didn't even flinch. "Alright then, creep you asked for it I'm coming out there and you're not going to like this." There were a pair of track pants lying on my float or, I don't think they were exactly clean but it was my quickest resort. Then grabbed a sweater and ran down the stairs.

In front of me was a tall pot type container holding umbrellas and grabbed one. "Ok, here I come" I shouted rounding the corner to the back of my house. "What do you want freak, if you don't leave I'm going to call the police." "Devon is the name, buttercup. The cops wouldn't make a difference to me, besides by the time you turn to go to the house I will have caught you." Pondering this in my head, I figured he was probably right but I of course had to take a stab at it. I smiled to give the perception of compliment and then tossed the umbrella at him and ran as fast as I could. But just as soon as I spun around to look for this Devon guy he was gone. "I told you I would stop you." He snorted as I bounced back off of his body to the ground. He stood right there in front of me smirking. "Ok I don't have much money but I'm sure I can get you some." Great there it was the classical _about to die _offer.

"I don't want your money; I just want to get to know you." "Well you know, stalking, and peeping are always a way to win over a girls attention. Or perhaps just go beyond over too far!" "Let me help you up". "Thanks but I can help myself." _Think Chris, you have to get yourself out of this _I couldn't help but stare, he did not move or even motion he just stared back at me into my eyes. Starting to get lost in a daze I snapped myself out of it and screamed, my sound was cut short and I don't know how. I didn't feel anything and couldn't see anything. It was as if everything was blank, black, nothing to be seen. Nothing to be heard. Then came a sensation of warmth through and around my body, I could hear his voice again "relax I'm not going to hurt you, I am going to help you. Our people knew you were coming for a while now your special Christina and you don't even know it. Let me help you and guide you."

_-BEEP, BEEP- _I jumped up in a convulsion as if I was being electrocuted. I was in my bed, in my robe and my window was closed. Everything was as it was before I lied down. A dream is what it was; it all had to have been a dream.

"What to wear today?" I had a blue hood and gray track pants sitting on my chair folded and ready. _I must have been so tired yesterday that I don't even remember setting out an outfit._ The smell of eggs and bacon filled the air in the house, and now I was dying to get downstairs.

The kitchen was smoky from all the cooking "What's the occasion?" "Occasion? No there's no occasion just cooking up a nice breakfast for you two." I glanced at my uncle sitting in the chair drinking coffee and reading his newspaper. "Well it smells great!" "So Christina, got any plans for your Saturday?" "Uncle Bill, I have no plans at all. Got any suggestions for me?" "Well I am heading down to city hall for a meeting, you could come along if you would like. Take a look around downtown." Nodding in satisfaction at the fact that my uncle had made an actually intriguing suggestion I agreed to go.

When breakfast was finished we hopped in his truck and left. The main part of downtown was only about a 10 minute drive from the house, and even though it was the main part of town, it was unlike any other town. This part of the town was covered in just as much greens as the rest of the town. It was beautiful. I was lost in the appearance of the town it was almost hypnotizing. Then the car came to a stop. We were parked in front of a large, extremely old antique looking building. "Here it is city hall. He giggled this is where all the magic happens." "Magic eh, Bill?" shaking my head I unlocked the car door and hopped out to take another glance at the town. Peering around I seen a library. "Bill it was great but I'm going to go check out the library. I would like to see if they have anything of good reading material." "Ok well come back here at noon, we can go for lunch." I listened but had already begun walking towards the library.

For such a small town it had a huge library, which I was grateful for. There was one familiar thing I seen though, a few kids rounded up skateboarding in the parking lot. While walking by them I couldn't help but look over and stare at them. It appeared as if no one had noticed me staring but then a girl stared me right back. Quickly snapping my gaze at the building behind her I knew I was caught.

The inside of the library was again breathtaking and antique looking. Even though I had told Bill I was going to see what the was to read I already knew what I was looking for. Witches and magic, I felt like such an idiot but all of the talk about such things has me wanting to read about it. There was a little desk a few feet past the doors with an older man sitting behind it. It seemed he was buried into his book that he hadn't noticed me standing there scanning the library. "Hello miss, is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'm looking for books on witches and things in that category." "Well the fiction section is up on the third floor- No sir I'm looking for facts I don't want fiction." "Oh ok well go on up to the second floor and you will find the area you are looking for in row 5."

It was impossible to believe but as I headed up the rounding stairwell to the second floor, the library got progressively quieter. It appeared as if no one really came to this part of the library. I came to row 5 and began to scan titles, grabbing anything that caught interest. _Witch Craft, Salem Witch Trials, Occult, and Satanic rituals, The Witch Hunters Diaries _I took all except for the satanic rituals because I felt as if that was going just a little too far towards the max. My watch beeped, warning me that I had exactly half hour left until noon. The librarian was very reluctant to give me my library card and then very disgusted when he seen my reading material. I paid no attention either way I was just focused on getting out and reading.

My dad's truck sat still in the same parking space as before, assuming it was going to be private I went and hopped in. The books all seemed intriguing but I was more interested in the book of hunter's diaries. I scanned the chapters looking for something to catch my eye and there it was _Tar taros Witch Hunt Chapter 15-_ The pages were stiff as I turned them as if they were more like cardboard then paper. Turning to chapter 15 I found a large photo, one of which was my home. There were more pictures though, more pictures then even words. And then one distinct photo I had to take another look at. It was 3 women standing in front of a large tree, a black gate and black picket fence just behind that. But that's not what caught my eye; it was the fact the one woman in the photo was identical to my mother. She resembled everything my mother did only she had blond hair.

"Hey new girl." Standing outside my car window was the girl I locked eyes with in the parking lot. I popped the door open and stepped out "Hello how are you?" "I'm pretty good, seen you go into the library but I'm afraid I don't recognize you. Then my friend informed me that you were the Castle's niece. I am Natalie." "Well Natalie apparently word travels fast around here. But then again it is small town, got to expect it." "I am a pretty big fan of witches too; I just spotted your book up there on the seat." This didn't seem to shock me seeing as Natalie wore nothing but black, including the makeup she wore. Such a shame too because her face seemed so beautiful almost like porcelain and she was hiding herself. "Oh well I'm not exactly into them per say, more so just trying to learn the history about my house." "I am having a few selected people over to do some partying, you should come and we can tell you the whole history to this town and that house." "I'm down with that let me get a pen and a piece of paper. I will give you my number and you can call me with your address." Natalie began to laugh stupidly. I stared at her in confusion. "Dude we don't meet in a house, we go out to the devils gate, the gate behind your house. That where we always party no one goes back there so it's easier." "Oh alright that sounds great." "Just be at the gate, at midnight this Friday!"

I could still hear her laughing as her and her friends rode away. _The devils gate, the history to this town just keeps getting better and better. _"Hey, hey, hey who's ready for some lunch I am starving." "Yea ill second that I'm pretty hungry too." They day just flew by so boringly, ate lunch with Bill, waited in the car for a half hour well he went back into city hall and then we were to go home. The only thing I really thought or focused on was that tomorrow was Monday and Friday was just around the corner.

When we had gotten home I was so lost in thought that I wasn't even concerned about dinner nor did I even greet Aunt Janelle back when she greeted me. I just headed straight up stairs to my bedroom. I picked up the book I was reading in the truck and flipped right back to chapter 15 regarding the witches or Oregon. I was still in such shock when I viewed the picture for a third time with the woman that resembled my mother. That when I heard the scratching, I started shifting things around in the corners and under my bed to see if perhaps there was a mouse but there was nothing to be found. Then I heard it again but this time it sounded like it was above me. When putting two and two together I realized that this was a home belonging to witches. With every witch tale the witches have an area of prayer almost like a church. Why wouldn't an attic be the perfect spot?

Sure enough when I peeked into the hall there was a string with a plastic hoop hanging from the ceiling. The attic. I closed my bedroom door and snuck over to hopefully get up into the attic without Bill or Janelle finding out. Inside was dusty, stinking and dark. The attic was a fair size, about the size of two average living rooms combined. Not exactly what I would expect for a witches layer. It was just basically a big empty storage spot obviously. It was filled with mostly furniture and 5 boxes piled to the back wall. I knew if I were to get any answers up here it would be in those boxes.

The first box was labeled Bills tools, the second Bills fishing gear and the third to my luck had no label at all. And that in my eyes goes back to the "if your name isn't on it it's not yours" quote and I opened it. There was a blue velvet sachet bag, three white text book and one black text book. Pulling everything out wasn't much of a hassle since there wasn't much in it. But the last item I pulled out of the box was a diary that hit a spot. The diary of Alexandra Castle- my mother. Of course once I actually find something my aunt had to call to me. I stashed the book in my room before I ran downstairs to her.

"Ah finally you come down! You have a visitor." Glancing to the love seat sat Dominick. "Janelle get him out of here." "Christina that is so rude, I apologize Dominick. Would you like something to drink?" "Um, no thank you Mrs. Castle I was just hoping to speak with Christina, I start school tomorrow and I was hoping that she may be interested in helping me find my way around." I couldn't believe this boy who had been stalking me both in my dreams and in reality was sitting on my couch putting on this sheared for my aunt. "Well I'm sure Christina will have no problem, right Christina. I believe she is having an off day Dominick still adjusting to the move. Chris is really a sweet heart and I'll let you two talk I need to go get started on cleaning up.

"Alright freak so now you have made your way into my home. What is it that you want?" "Chris you don't understand I'm here to help you, you have come at a bad time this town is hell. I know I sound crazy but if you only new just how crazy reality could be you would understand. You are a witch." I was baffled by what Dominick had just said and I couldn't help myself from laughing hysterically. "Oh listen Bill, Christina has found another friend how good."

"Are you kidding me you have been following me around to tell me you think that I'm a witch. Ok so am I supposed to take that as you think I'm a witch because you think I'm rude or is this witch like as in power and what not?" "No a witch with powers." I searched his face to see the humor spark somewhere on his face but there was none. "Alright now it's really time for you to go, you really aren't a freak you're mental." I went to leave the room when he grabbed my arm and I felt a sensation of sparks go up my arm and then yanked it away. "What was that?

"I knew it was going to come down to this and you weren't going to believe me, please just give me a chance to show you the world that lies in front of your eyes." "This is insane, is Dominick even your real name? Ok whatever I'm interested now show me what it is your talking about." We stopped in the kitchen to say good bye to my aunt and uncle so they didn't think I ran off or anything. Then headed down that damn path that I had come to continuously encounter since I came to this town. We came to the gates and he began "these gates are a trade mark to all that is evil. Because this is where it all starts, these are the gates of hell. The power that comes from these gates reaches out to all the evil around the world to bring them to this core so they can be opened." "Ok so you are telling me that we are located in hell, are you kidding me. This is the proof of the world that lies before me – look Christina I don't mean to cut you off but just listen I'm going to show you something you need to not scream, run away or freak out."

He turned his back to me for a short moment then turned back around. It was horrifying and confusing his eyes were crystal blue and he had fangs like real fangs. "Ok your attempt to scare me was great you did it, did Jessica set you up with the makeup." I leaned in to touch his fang and it pricked my finger. "Ouch, geese those are really good." "Christina" Dominick snapped at me "these aren't fake no one put me up to this, I am a vampire and you're a witch. Hunters went to your town to kill you and your parents. Your mother was a witch too; she was the only connection to the two that lived here. After they were killed the set up a fire in your house to get rid of the other connections. You were supposed to be in it, and now you're here on their turf. You need to show no sign of what power you possess or tell anyone of this. The land behind those gates in the fields in the mountains are our haven."

"Suppose I do buy what you're saying, why would they be trying to get rid of the evil if the evil is supposed to come here?" "We aren't evil Christina; we are building our own army to stop the end of the world from arising. The witches that were here set a binding spell to stop anything evil from going into our haven. We have been building an army for century's wolves, vampires, witches, ghosts they all exist Christina. And fate has put you in the middle of a great war." "Well, how exactly are you going to protect me and what are you trying to protect me from." "The town's people know who you are Christina and they are waiting for your slip up and so does your aunt and uncle, that's why they are trying to keep you with them as often as possible." "The town is not sure of what side you are going to sway for, they assume you know what you are and that your either not using or your with them."

Suddenly there was rustling in the bushes "who is here" Dominick hissed. And then a man with bleach blond hair and dark brown eyes emerged from the woods. He was extremely tall and very well built. "Dante what are you doing here?" "I have come to tell you that if you are going to carry on this conversations in public don't you think it is best to move the meeting place within our haven. Rather than risk listening ears?" "You don't understand Dante, I was correct the girl knows nothing about herself. She is completely UN aware of what she is capable of. The man called Dante than exchanged a brief look with me and shook his head, in an instant he transformed into an amazingly large dog, he was a wolf that was the size of a bear. He darted out into the woods of the so called haven.

"I'm sorry about that Christina but the deadline that is to be the end of the world is just a year away. The others are worried of revealing what we have started. The town's people are a cult this town is not even on the maps it is secretive. I will come to see you again soon but for now just keep in mind what I have told you until I can figure out what we can do for this situation." He was gone with the wind like he hadn't just been standing there before me. Now I felt sick to my stomach like I was in a bad nightmare I couldn't escape. Walking back to the house I had so many thoughts going through my head that I couldn't even just concentrate on one single thought. Then again with the rustling, "oh did you come back to tell me that I have a cousin somewhere that's a troll?" I turned around and there was no one there, but a beautiful rose that sat just off of a dead plant. I picked it up and smelt it; it was real so where did it come from. All that I could do now was go back to my home and continue on like it hadn't happened and like my life hadn't just set off on a completely absurd path.

The next day at school was so confusing, I was so deep in thought that I couldn't respond to anyone and when I did it was _"huh." _Everyone was looking at me like I was crazy. The other thing was Eric; he didn't even talk to me. Greeted me in the morning and then went and sat beside Jessica. A lot of the things Dominick said started going off again in my head. Maybe this was a sign maybe Eric devoted some time into me to investigate. See if I slipped up. _Wait Chris are you nuts, slipped up since when did you really start thinking you were a witch. _Shook the thoughts from my head and then concentrated again.

I sat outside by a tree for lunch reading one of the "Witch" novels I got from the library. Wasn't seeming to find anything that even came close to resembling me. Then I picked out a sentenced that really stood out for me, "you need to believe in what it is that you are doing, and pull the power out from the deepest parts of your body. Your mind." The bell rang and I dashed for the door to get to my next class but that sentenced continued to repeat in my head.

The day went on as if everything was normal. Had dinner, washed up, read a little more and then "claimed" to be going to bed. _Ok so from the deepest parts of your mind. _"T.V. turn on" I waved my hands at my TV. I laughed hysterically because the idea that I was sitting here doing a hocus pocus act was ridiculous. Then I smacked myself in the head "God you're an idiot."

_**BOOM **_A loud crack shot out from my bathroom. I ran in to find my stereo on fire, yanking the plug out I threw the radio into the sink and turned on the water. There was no way I just did that; I wasn't even trying to do that. I placed my hands back on my head and thought long and hard and then my TV. turned on. Realizing that anger or any emotion is a trigger to my power.

"Do you believe me now?" "Geese, don't do that to me." Dominick laughed smugly and walked over to sit on my bed. "Ok, so I believe you. Where about do we go from here?" "It is important that you know yes, that was the biggest part. The next part is having you choose your side. Do you wish to do work of evil with your hands now or do you wish to do well." "Wow, obviously I choose good, what kind of person I would be if I didn't." "Then we tell Bill and Janelle that you know and you have joined the army." "JOINED THE ARMY! What are you talking about I didn't join the army." "The army of our kind, you wouldn't defend with the power you have the life that you have." I glared at him with so much hate and then another explosion this time it was the living room TV. downstairs.

Explanations weren't needed when we entered the living room my aunt broke into tears. Assuming with her tears that she knew I knew about my powers, I knew this would mean bad news. "How could you tell her, she didn't have to know? Now she has no choice but to pick a side and battle for her life." "I understand how upset you are, but if I hadn't told her she might have slipped up and then there would be no chance for her life. I risked mine to warn her and tread on UN binned land." My uncle shook his head and came across the room toward me. Placing his hand on my shoulder and he told me "Chris, it is your choice but we can take you and move you far away from here." I glanced at everyone in the room more than once and then thought; _it's more than just defending my life and saving the end of the world. Its revenge for my mother and father. They didn't deserve to die. _"No Bill, I'm going with Dominick, I will take revenge on the souls that took my parents."

Both my aunt and uncle gave me a long set of hugs before I left. And then Dominick and I headed across the field towards the mountains of forests ahead of us. The journey was definitely a journey; we walked through paths and open fields. "Shush." I stopped Dominick. "Did you hear that?" Dominick looked at me with eyebrows lifted. "You are looking at me like I'm crazy, after you just explaining everything else to me." He laughed and we both turned around. There growing in front of us and just sprouting was a rose.

"Christina don't you see you just did that." Now I took a turn at the whole eyebrow raising. "What were you thinking about just now Chris?" "My parents, why?" "That's it; this is your special gift. You had life taken from you and you give life." That if everything else was true should be too, so I knelt down and touched the gowned well thinking of my parents and another rose grew. "Wow this is so cool." Dominick laughed with me and we continued on walking.

"So Dominick, tell me why exactly you risked your life for me?" "When I had heard gossip around town that you had come here and that they did not get you in the fire, I began to look for you. And then when I seen you I was so struck by your thoughts, all the things that went through your head. I would come and sit in your room at night and listen to your dreams, your thoughts and I fell in love with them. Then I spoke to you and fell in love with you, your very soul rang out to me when I spoke with you."

I was UN able to not blush when he looked at me. "Is that just the whole Dracula magic thing, to seduce me with your charm and then bite me" I snickered. "No but that if that is what you want I could always do it" Dominick swung his arms around my waist and pulled me close to his face. I was so lost for breath when he let me go. The rest of the walk was quite quiet after that.

When we stopped we stood in front of a very large crowd of people. They stared at me with angry eyes. "Dominick what are you doing?" A voice cried out from the crowd. "You are going to kill us all" another shouted after. "It is ok I have stopped them from killing her." A tall beautiful woman stepped out from the crowd toward us. She had long blond hair that flowed just below her shoulders and emerald green eyes. "Dominick what on earth made you think they wanted to kill her they need her, She is the key to the gate." Gasping for a breath I looked at the tall woman. "What do you mean, I'm evil?" "No not evil sweet heart it's your gift, you bring life and that's what they need, that power to open the gate this is why your mother and father moved from here. They tried to escaped here before anyone found out. But someone did and they followed you where ever you moved. Stopping for only a few years they assumed your parents would think that they gave up for a while and didn't realize they were found."

Dominick shouted at the tall beauty "what do we do than; we can't let them get her." "That's right, she needs to run and keep running, it won't take them long to track her here we are not that far away and she needs to be alone so they cannot have reason to destroy anything of ours. If we have no connections they will have no need to bother with us and we can hide when they pass through." Dominick looked at me and I knew what was about to happen. I shook my head and ran off continuing through the forest the opposite direction of home. I felt him move behind me to catch me. But the beauty caught him first.

"Dominick, no she needs to go on her own we will watch over her as best as we can from a distance. But if they catch her she must be destroyed she cannot live if she is caught." "Ivy, I could never hurt her."

After running for a while I didn't realize how far I had gone, and that I didn't know where I was going. The only thing that I knew was that I wasn't welcome anywhere behind me. I figured I would just continue to travel forward until dawn breaks through then I can stop and think about what I am going to do. Until then I would just have to continue on the path and practice some mind powers. After all I had all the time in the world right now. I knew my strength and power came within my emotions and reactions. So with this information I would try to trigger an emotion and use it toward something. I started working up the feeling I felt losing everything I had again and then stared into the sky. Clouds started to form and it began to rain. It was amazing, the feeling of the surge of power rushing through my hands. Continuing on and triggering different emotions and making different things happen…

…"Janelle and Billy Castle open the door now, it is time." The banging on the door and yelling of the crowd rang throughout the living room. The only option to use is opening the door; they would break it down either way. "Mayor Cripton what can we do for you tonight?" "Bill let's not postpone this there is no need, you knew the time would come and you can either give her to me or we will come in and take her." "Well then I guess you will have to come in and take her." Bill gripped Janelle's hand as the men barged in and threw them into hand cuffs. The people gladly hauled them out to the police van.

"Mayor she's not here, anywhere, she's gone." "Call up the Dubawnt's and tell that kid of theirs to hunt her down." "And the others sir?" "Throw them in the jail for now they may come in handy for our runaway's return." …

I fell asleep along the path at some point when I was walking in the early morning and when I woke up the sun was shining so bright. The area was gorgeous it was like a personal Utopia. What lied in front of me was amazing, there were little fairies flying around or what seemed to be little fairies and unicorns this was all impossible. This stuff is all wrong it's only supposed to be imaginary. What is going on I couldn't help but be attracted to the beauty of the scenery anyhow. I was sucked right into it.

"Hello stranger. What might you be doing travelling so far up in the mountain area all alone?" A man with long ears that ended in points and long black hair stepped in front of me killing the trance I was caught in. "I am hiking I needed to get away from town people and explore the fresh air." I gave off the best vibe of _I'm not lying Mr. _but I don't think he was buying it. "Really? Well I'm sorry to inform you that but you are trespassing in an area that you are not welcome in. And I am not about to let you leave and share this place with anyone else." "Please you don't understand I have no intentions on telling anyone about your land. I mean for no trouble, trouble is after me and I'm trying to escape it." The man began to look around himself as if worried that something was approaching.

"Her name is Christina and she is the key to hell. They have sent her to run as far as she can to bring no trouble to our lands." A wolf began to step forward out of the trees. "Dante you know of this for sure. There could be no mistakes?" "No Raven, there are no mistakes she is the last witch of the Castle's line. She is their prophecy." The wolf was Dante the man who I had met with Dominick. "Christina you have our blessings to pass through, we shall also help you with supplies. We do not wish for trouble and we do not wish for hell on earth either. So we shall provide you with a horse, supplements to eat and drink and also a blanket to sleep on when you need to. Our forest animals and creatures will look after you from a distance as best as we can. There is no way we can interfere because it would only corrupt the army we have built. I am sure there will be other ways we can help. There is no time for thank you, you must take everything we have given you and go the wind blows north a hunter is coming."

I hopped up on my beautiful horse and placed my bags in the holster. "Before I leave please tell me if the hunter catches me what is the conclusion?" Dante came forward in human form again and handed me a home crafted knife "hide this somewhere accessible it's from Dominick, the only outcome if you are caught is to be taken back to the town and killed. Your bloodshed is the key to opening the gate." As he finished answering my question he slapped the horse's rear and I was jolted forward almost flying through the forest.

How would this hunter find me, what is it that they use to track me? If only I knew what they would be using to track me I could possibly create a diversion. Dominick sent me a knife so the hunter must be just human. And I still didn't even know all of the information about myself. I am a witch what are my weaknesses. I started pulling the reins on my horse so that it would slow down.

I had no idea what ways to go or which ways to turn and it seemed like the day didn't want to end but I couldn't handle the bumps on my butt from riding the horse all day. I thought it would have been smarter to stop and rest a bit. If the hunter was close enough to catch me he would have had me by now. I pulled the horse over to a tree by the creek to tie him up. The bag the creatures had provided me contained great quantities for such a small bag. There was bread, a hand crafted cup to drink with that was enough for me to stop looking though. Water is exactly what I wanted. The water felt so nice on my throat, being all choked up made it so dry. …..

"Ivy this is nonsense if I want to go after her I should be able too. How would I going after her allow them to know about are army?" "Dominick I will not argue this any further with you, you cannot go after her why must you continue to get blown up regarding this. That girl could be the end of our world and you want to save her. That is disgusting, we should have killed her when she was here, but I look forward to the war if they catch her." "You do not understand Ivy! I observed her for the weeks she was here, I heard her thoughts and I saw her dreams. She cannot be destroyed she means even more than being the key to hell. She brings life to nature and love. I'm going after her."

"Dominick if you leave these premises after her I will have you hunted down and killed before you even get to her." "Do your worst Ivy." Dominick didn't even give the satisfaction of Ivy having a final word; he took off with the wind following Christina's scent. "Dante, Monique go seek him out and kill him. I want his body brought back to me in pieces." "But Ivy he is one of ours, why can't we just bring him back." "He left us for her kill him!"

Monique, a skilled bowman and also an elf stood five feet tall exactly, had short spiky blond hair and very pale fair skin. Her eyes were crystal clear and her ears were at least half a size longer then her head. Together, Dante and she would have to work to kill Dominick and neither of them were happy about it. Dominick was their own and really wasn't doing anything wrong. Monique however, would never disobey an order she was more hell bound on killing Dominick then Dante was. Dante knew he would be spending the tracking time considering a plan to not kill Dominick. …..

Laying against a large oak tree next to the little creak was relaxing. Relaxing to the point that I knew I would fall asleep anytime so I had to get up. But something strange happened when my hands touched the ground I could hear thuds as if someone was stomping on the ground nearby. I pulled away and then touched with both hands and closed my eyes. Through the darkness of my eye lids a picture formed it was Eric, he was running through the same forest that I had been

Running through.

I tore my horse free from the tree and hopped on kicking my legs off the side to get the horse set off. I left everything behind me the blanket and the food bag Eric would definitely know he is on the right path now. I knew from everything that was going on that obviously the whole town was crazy but hadn't imagined him being that way, and yet instead he is worse, he is a hunter and is hunting me.

Now I was getting furious and started to shout at the top of my lungs "why the hell me, what did I ever do. What mom? Dad? You couldn't have given me some sort of sign or notice that I was as bad as the antichrist?" And at the exact moment I finished my sentence a down poor started and thunder began to rumble. "Great because that is so much more help. Let's go horse pick up the pace." I belted the side of the horse again and we shot off.

I didn't think there was anything at that moment that could have made my situation worse. I had a hunter tracking me, I'm supposed to be the key to hell, I'm a witch that doesn't even know half of what she can do, I felt completely and utterly useless. "MAYBE I SHOULD JUST GIVE UP AND JUMP OFF A CLIFF. I FIND IT KIND OF BETTER THEN BEING SERVED UP ON A DAMN PLATTER." I yanked off my necklace and through it into the stream that I was riding beside. And then a thud, sharp pain through my chest. And then another thud, this time a sharp pain in my head. Wearily I could open my eyes and seen a blurred version of my surroundings. There was a short blond girl standing in front of me with a bow and Dante. The pain was overwhelming and couldn't think clearly too even understand what was going on. Shortly after closing my eyes I began to just let the blackness sink in well memories flashed before me. …..

Lightning struck the ground right at Monique's feet blasting her 30 feet into the air. She landed abruptly on her face and was hurt. "Dante, please help me I think my neck is broken." "No Monique, you were never instructed to kill her. You were instructed to kill Dominick you deserve what you get."

"No death is what Monique deserves." Dominick came charging out of the forest and stomped on her throat. Then ran directly to Christina's side, he began to inspect the wound in her chest. "Dante she's been hit directly in the heart, what do I do?" Dante who was in just as much shock as Dominick just stared and shook his head from side to side. "You can't bite her; her blood is poisonous to your kind. There isn't anything that can be done, I'm sorry Dominick but it might be for the better."

"Your right Dante." "Come on we need to return back to the haven and tell everyone of the news." "No Dante, I mean you're right I can't bite her, but she's dying and I can allow her to drink my blood." "Dominick have you gone mad, it's never been done or even spoken of. You can't do it, I won't allow it." Before Dante could say another word he was taken down from behind. The hunter had caught us, Eric had gotten to us. Quickly Dante shape shifted and began to pace around Eric. Then a loud thud as Dante sprang up and knocked Eric to the ground. …..

…. "Christina if you can hear me, I need you to trust me. Open your mouth and drink this it will help you." Though she could not see him she could still hear his voice over the dancing memories that were going through her head. She opened her mouth and allowed the blood to course its way down her throat. When it stopped flowing is when she knew there was something bad about to happen, because her body began to freeze up and tighten. "I can't breathe, please help it hurts so bad, make it stop please."

The pain just continued on and on, no one was helping me. I tried to move, but it just hurt more. But then the pain turned to warmth and I felt like I was sleeping but still able to hear everything around me. But then everything became quiet and black leaving me in nothing but numbness. ….

"Listen here hunter" Dante snarled through his teeth. "I'll give you the option to return to town and inform them that the girl is dead and leave it at that or I kill you here where you stand." "I'm not leaving here without that body so bring it on biscuit." "Dominick go, leave with her and run well you can, I'll take care of the hunter but the others will come for you." Dominick just nodded and grabbed Christina and shot off through the woods higher up the mountains.

"Mayor Sir, we have some bad news. The hunter has returned, not by his will though. He was killed sir and left in the middle of the road." "How was he killed, it is impossible that she could have done it." "Well she didn't, we believe he was mauled by a bear." The mayor stood up and walked to the window of his city hall office. "Well then I guess we need to call up the best hunters and trackers we can find. Eric could have been a great hunter."

A meeting in city hall was set for the following evening with hunters and trackers expected. "Oh and I also want every animal hunter in the area here today before night fall out there hunting this bear. There is too much to be done, to let some bear come in the way. Get rid of it." "Yes mayor I will call everyone now." ….

The sound of water caught my attention and began to drag me away from darkness. As my vision started to come back to me, I could see a water fall pouring down in front of my face and sat up to get a better look at what I was seeing. I was in a cave of some sort, and by myself. I tried to remember what happened before I got to where I was but not a thing could come to my mind.

"How do you feel?" Startled by the voice I jumped and fell straight through the waterfall into the river below. I looked up from the river to see Dominick leaning against the wall of the cave, just between a crease of the waterfall and the opening to the cave. Everything around me was in such sharp contrast to my eyes. I could hear the slightest little sounds of squirrels running around and birds taking flight. The sun had just begun to set and gave me a burning sensation that made me leap out of the water and run for cover.

"Dominick what's going on? What is wrong with me?" Dominick came into the shadows following right behind me. "It's the light I know it's painful, but that's just because it's new. You will adjust to it in time. I didn't expect you to pull through that quickly. But then again you are a witch that could have given the extra boost." Before he could finish I couldn't help but lift my nose to the air and take a slow deep breath in, the air tasted and smelt amazing. "Christina I don't know how to tell you but I'm just going to say it, you're a vampire now. You were going to die and I couldn't bite you because your blood is poisonous to me. So I had you drink my blood."

"What did you do to me" My hands went about motions all on their own and tossed Dominick right into a tree. His head cracked off of the tree, he just glared at me like he were about to eat me and then within two seconds he was off the ground in front of me. He wrapped one arm around my waist and the other he used to lift my face to his. From the moment we touched I lost all train of thought and fell into a magical zone.

"Christina since the day I heard your thoughts I couldn't keep myself away from you, I listened to your dreams and the things you felt. I felt them too, I'm in love with you and I will do anything for you. Forgive me but I'd rather you live as one with me then not live at all and that's why I saved you." Something inside me began to build up, like lightning shooting through my body and I pulled Dominick's face back into mine for yet another magical passionate kiss.

Sounds started echoing in my head well I kissed Dominick, the sound of something like a heartbeat. As we stopped kissing I glanced around my surroundings to find the source of the sound. Then my legs took off from underneath me towards the sound. I found myself soon tackling a moose and sinking my teeth into its throat.

It began to put up a fight and that's when I let go, I didn't want to because it tasted so good but the thought of what I was doing was crazy. The moose went to stand and then collapsed again. All that I could smell was the blood and pounced back onto it. When I was done I just sat and stared at the helpless animal I had just killed.

"Its nature Chris, you eat steak and chicken just look at it from that point of view. You had to finish it off, if you had let your venom sink in it would have been more painful for it." "That's not the problem Dominick, I'm still hungry and I want more." The blood had filled me but not enough I wanted more, I must have appeared completely crazy. "Yea crazy Chris, I'm a vampire and you're now a vampire and a witch, but I'm going to find you being still hungry crazy." "Oh I completely clued out to the fact you could hear my thoughts."

"The moose is going to have to do for now Chris we have bigger issues, for instance what to do about the fact that you're supposed to be dead. My haven wants you dead and so does the town, I can read the mayors thoughts from here. He has already sent out hunters and trackers they want you found and brought back." "Well what do we do then, we can't very well fight them alone. I don't even know what I'm completely capable of doing."

"Well now we know where to start, I need you to stay here well I go and find Carmine. She's an old friend of mine and an amazing witch. Perhaps we can have her teach you how to use your powers." I leaned in to Dominick for another sweet tasteful kiss which he returned. He tasted as sweet as sugar I didn't want to let him go. Dominick picked me up and cradle me in his arms; he carried me back to the cave where I had woken up only an hour ago.

He lied me down on the rock flooring of the cave and began to kiss at my neck and collar bone. I had never felt anything like what I was experiencing; it was as if my body was going into explosive overload mode. We rolled over so that I lay on top of his body and began tracing my fingers across his collarbone. We lived with each other kissing and tracing our fingers over each other's faces. The feelings I experienced were impossible, at some points like I was floating and others like I was flying.

When Dominick left to find his friend I figured another dip in the river wouldn't hurt, I could have used cleaning anyhow. After pulling off all of my clothes I leapt off the edge of the cave back into the river. The bubbles from the pressure of my body hitting the water rose up all around me. The moon shun brightly over the river it was full and beautiful. Mist rose from the temperatures up around the water and grass it truly was beautiful. A scene I never wanted to leave my mind.

Then howling rang out from the forest I knew I only had a matter of minutes to be back into my clothes. There was a small opening just beneath the caves water fall that I fit in. I thought it would be best to hide there until I knew what was coming my way.

A few hound dogs came shooting out from different edges of the forest. Then two men behind them with guns. The smell of their blood called me almost beckoning me out of my little hiding place but I knew I couldn't move.

One of the hounds came my way and began to grow, I don't know what made me do it but I growled back and the hound went running. "What is it boy, what's wrong with you? Hey Arnie I think he found something, he is freaking out pretty bad." The two men started screening the area I didn't think it possible that they would find me but of course one of them had to come walking my way.

"Hello boys." They both stared at me as I crawled out one smirked at me but the other, this Arnie person knew I had something planned. "Alright freeze their Mrs. Castle" he pointed his gun at me "the mayor has requested to see you so you're going to have to come with us." I laughed smugly "are you going to shoot me, because I don't think you are you need me. You both smell so unbelievably good." I couldn't resist the monster that was trying to escape me I launched myself onto the one hunter and bit right into his chest.

The attack led to his gun pointing at the other hunter and the bite sent a shock through his system causing his muscles to flex and pull the trigger. Two birds with one stone was a way of looking at that. Even though I cleaned myself off after my clothes were still stained in the blood and smelling rotten. I had to find something else to wear because this felt and smelt disgusting. I had been so pre occupied with the vampire instincts in me I was losing sight of the witch side in me.

Their were a couple flowers nestled at the corner of a tree just a few feet away. So I leaned over to touch them and the second I did they shriveled up. This was all beginning to actually sink into me as if it weren't a dream. Things were happening one thing after another I just went with the flow thinking it would all turn out to be a dream. But the problem was I wasn't waking up.

"Christina" I could hear Dominick's distant voice shouting for me in panic. "Chris I didn't think we were going to make it back in time" he flew to my side clinging to me. A beautiful girl came out of the trees following him so elegantly. She had almost white blonde hair that hung to her shoulders and icy blue eyes that you could get lost in. The was one distinct thing on her that was not a beautiful. She had a long scar going from her chin to her collarbone.

"Chris this is Carmen, she is the oldest living witch and the most powerful. She is going to teach you how to reach your powers and bring them out." "Dominick her powers are sour now, you have changed her, and if she was smart she would stick with being just vampire. No one has ever done anything like this before we don't know what she is capable of." Carmines words stung me. Sour what is that supposed to mean. "I touched the hunter's forehead and he died almost instantly like his life was drained.

Carmine turned her back to me and put her hand on her head then turned to touch the hunter whose body lay lifeless next to the tree. "You powers seem to be able to drag the life and soul out of a body the way you would if you were to drain it of its blood. This could mean that you are the most deadly among us. Christina I want you to touch my hand and close your eyes." Carmine stuck her hand up in motion for me to raise mine as well. I looked at Dominick in fear of what was about to happen. Would something happen to me or would something happen to Carmine?

As our hands touched we both shot through the air both bouncing off trees back to the ground. "This is incredible, I can't harm her." "Harm me? Dominick she was trying to hurt me!" Carmine and Dominick both glanced at each other smugly.

"Child do you not understand, I am the most powerful and oldest of the witches left and I didn't even cause a tint of pain to you. This could mean that you are the most powerful. The only thing I am not sure of is how to train you to use your power. It is so intensely strong that I am unsure if you will be capable of controlling it."

"What happens if I can't control my power?" Dominick intervened at this point "they will try to destroy you Chris; they will consider you an abomination." "Is that what I am Dominick am I an abomination." I got up and walked away from the two and went towards the creek. The moon was shining bright and beautifully. My body felt so strange, there was so much energy flowing through me and so many paths my body wanted to choose.

Parts of me wanted to attack anything with a heartbeat, and other parts of me wanted to lay down and never get back up. Then I figured I could do just that lay down, not move and not think. Dominick and Carmine stayed where I had just stood and spoke as if through whispers but I didn't acknowledge their voices. Instead I cleared my head of everything, but the sounds of nature. The leafs blowing in the wind, the animals rushing about and a sound that I couldn't make sense of. Something like a humming blowing about with the wind.

It was almost calling me to follow it and that's what I did… "Carmine what are we going to do? I won't allow anyone to hurt her; she is the one for me. So ultimately if it comes down to that I will intervene." "I know. Sadly Dominick if it did come to that, you could never win. So why sacrifice yourself for her, she's nothing but a mutt. Human, witch and vampire, what is she capable of and how would you know if her feelings would stay the same." Dominick just shook his head knowing Carmine was dead on with what she was speaking of. A combination of such creatures has never been mixed before.

"Dominick I think the more important thing to focus on is what the town's people are planning. They will send more to look for those hunters now as well as her. We need to think of a place to take her and work on her skills. If we do not travel soon they will gain advantage on us." "What about Black peak? Christina isn't frail now; we could make amazing time to the top." Carmine agreed and she and Dominick turned to retrieve Christina from the river.

When they realized she was gone they went into sheer panic "Carmine go up to the peak I will find Chris and return with her." Carmine was off in a dash and Dominick lifted his nose into the air to track Christina's scent, and then was off himself.

….. I followed the humming into a type of cave, I supposed that's what you would call it, it was in the mountain and very dark. But I was positive the direction was leading through there and I continued in. The darkness continued downward into the mountain, after what I guessed to be 100 feet in, I could faintly see a light. Then I smelt a fire and heard the thuds of heartbeats. Those humming had stopped but I had come too far to not know where this beautiful tune was coming from.

When I turned a corner their sat an Native Chief with a flute. The man stared at me as if he were expecting me. "I'm so glad you could come Christina. I'm Chief Silver tooth. Please come sit and join me." I could see no reason not to join him, after all I was who should be feared not him. "What was that you were playing?" The Chief smiled in contentment "The calling, it is a native tune we have used for centuries to retrieve someone." In the same instant he finished his sentence the Chief exploded into a wolf. He got on all fours and growled at me and then two men came in the same way I came. "My dear Christina, I hope we did not frighten you but I think you would like to know that Chief Silver Tooth will attack if you move. Which I don't think you will be doing because you see we have your aunt and uncle in a prison right now and unless you want to see something bad happen to them on account of you I suggest you come with us."

It seemed that no one had any idea just exactly what I was capable of, but at the same time I did not want them to know until I was able to get my aunt and uncle to safety. I played along with a sheared of being afraid and followed.

Dominick followed Christina's scent right to the cave that now lied vacant. There was more than one scent he had picked up though. He had picked up the scent of humans and wolves. This made it all the much easier for him to determine that Christina had been caught, but the bigger decision was to determine if she had fought them off and travelled further or if she was taken down by them.

When he returned to the forest outside the cave he waited for a gust of wind to pick up where ever else the scent or scents would lead to. The wolves scent led south and the human scent as well as Christina's all led back north towards town. Once Dominick was able to compose that Christina was indeed alive but also in the hands of the mayor his instinct led back to his safe grounds for the war that was about to arise.

When Christina reached the town she feared for the worst, there were so many possibilities and outcomes running through her mind she began to feel dizzy and light headed. What would happen once she reached her aunt and uncle, she had no way to predict the future and feared that maybe she would not be strong enough to fight off whatever may come her way. The man, who was obviously one of the many servers of the mayor, kept shoving at my back and pushing me forward so I had no time to really think.

My aunt and uncle sat in a jail cell that was beneath the sheriff's office. Their faces read everything I feared. A sharp pain shot through my head and when I turned to see what had happened another sharp pain flew up the side of my head as the mayor's pet took another swipe at me with a club. "Christina!" "Bill you need to stay out of this if you want to stay alive, there is no way of preventing what we shall do. Why put yourself in deaths path as well." Bill stared at Christina horrified as she lied on the floor bleeding. But then the mayor's face turned to horror, as Christina's bloodied head started to dry back up almost instantly. Christina stood up as if nothing had happened and placed one hand on the man who had clubbed her. He began to turn a pasty white and shrivel up.

I went to turn to the next little lap dog as I was attacked by something so strong it took the wind out of me. When my senses came back to me and I looked around there stood the native man staring me in the eyes. "Would you like me to step into the cell with your little family? Would you like me to tear them to shreds, because either way you are going down so would you like to take them down with you?" I stared at them sitting in the cell unsure of what to do or say.

"Ok you have me let them go." "That can be done when everything else is said and done until then they stay here for leverage." The mayor had such a spiteful look on his face, I wanted to attack him where he stood but I knew that would only jeopardize my aunt and uncle. The Chief grabbed my arm and yanked me forward, and at that point I know this was it. I could not harm him from my touch, I would have to battle him and that wouldn't end well. I had no idea of my skills or powers and there for he would have the advantage on me.

We left and headed for the two lonely gates still standing in the field behind my house. I had no fear, I had no idea what was about to happen, how it was going to happen and how it would all end. Town's people were already crowded around the gates in black gowns and hoods as if they were waiting there all along. When we got to the gates they stood me between them and tied my wrists, one to each gate. That's when the chants began, they were giving me a headache as if they're words were pulsing through my head.

The grown began to shake harshly as if an earth quake was coming. Was this is could this be how it was all going to end. But the chanting had stopped and the town's people began to look shocked and look around to each other for an answer. That's when it all became clear, through the darkened edges of the forests hundreds of figures emerged. Wolves, vampires, witches, goblins, elves and eagles in the sky. The war was beginning and the town's people had no idea successfully like the creatures of the haven wanted.

Apparently there were more surprises to come, people from the town started transforming into wolves and witches. "This is the best you have to fight against them; you people are lost causes now you're all dead." As I screamed the words a piercing pain shot through my chest, terrified to look down because the pain was not ending this time I saw an arrow sticking out from my chest. Now I realized I was a lost cause, my hands were bound and I was in so much pain I couldn't pull them undone and the pain only got worse.

Was it possible that even with all of the power that lied within me that this arrow would be the death of me? A screeching roar raged through all of the crowds and the ground began to shake. A crack started breaking the ground and separating beneath our feet. The skies turned blacker then the night sky, no stars were in sight. This had to be it hell has now broken loose and the world was about to end starting here in this little town.

Innocent children and families were about to disappear without reason. A woman rose out of the ground, she had ashy hair almost a mixture of black and white, her eyes were pure black, nails long like knifes but through all of this horror she was still beautiful. The woman glanced around almost trying to calculate everything around her until her eyes zeroed in on mine. "Who has woken me from my slumber? Why is it I'm here staring at all of your pitiful faces?" She began to walk towards me as the mayor intervened. "My queen, it is I who has summoned you, take us with you, we have been waiting for you and doing your bidding. Kill all of these hopeless souls and we will serve you and only you." The woman who I presumed to be the almighty one hells queen of darkness and all that is damned. This was Lucifer. She laughed an evil cackle and pointed at the mayor. He dropped to his knees and started to convulse and then the strangest thing, he busted into flames and his skin burned away until it was just bone. At least I knew in my last few minutes that he had suffered on his own accord.

She than continued towards me, I had no more strength to even keep the eye connection with her and I just let my head drop. "This is tainted blood, not even the blood of the innocent! And you call yourselves my followers. Ha Child look at me. Look at me damned one." I pulled my gaze back up to hers, she was even more breath taking up close. "Well what are you waiting for, finish me then." I snarled at her. "You have the strength and conceitness of one of my own. I grant you this gift young one, you are being blessed you are now an angel of hell. Use this gift wisely and do my work here or I will come find you and bring you back to hell with me."

She gradually pulled the arrow slowly out of me, the burning was horrid even worse than when I was shot with it. Placing her hand across my stomach the burning ended, I was myself again. Well not my human self but the evil I was turned into. "Lucinda no! You cannot do this, she is an abomination." Ivy stepped fourth out of the crowd. "Oh Ivy, what a horrific sight you are! What exactly did you think I was, your words will not stop me my word has already been done and it certainly over powers yours." "This may be true Lucinda but we will just hunt her and kill her again and again every time you try to save her damned soul."

"Ivy I do enjoy your challenges every now and then, but I don't quite think you are grasping the severity of this situation. It is her who I plan to send upon all of you, you are the abominations. Who ever heard of such a thing as a good witch, vampire or wolf? It's an insult to me and it will end, then once it has a new era shall arise."

"I will not do it!" Lucinda turned and glared at me. "Oh my child this is just the purity that's left in you, soon it will dissolve and evil will consume you. You have no choice in the matter; your soul was damned and your mine." In a cloud of smoke Lucinda was gone and the ground resumed the long green full grass it was. The stars shown in the sky brightly again, I thought this was the end of it all until more screams shattered the peace. All of the followers began to erupt into flames even those who tried to run away. All that was left was Ivy's followers; obviously a ploy Lucinda wanted a war after all.

Dominick exited the crowd and came to me. "Chris is it still you in there." He looked me deep in the eyes as he had done before. "It is still me." He started untying the ropes well the rest of the crowd stared in disgust. "Dominick is this what you have chosen her over us, we are your family." "And she is the love of my life, damn me if you will, I already am damned you shunning me does not make a difference."

Dominick held my hands in his and raised my chin so I stared him in the eyes again. He had such a look of fear in his expression. "What Dominick, What's wrong?" "Your eyes, there, there red, blood red. No pupils, nothing." "But it is still me Dominick, don't let my appearance fool you; it is still me in here. For how long I don't know but I will fight it, I will fight it for you."

Our romantic moment was obviously not going to last long with Ivy and her followers watching. "Dominick we will give you and Christina 3 day's head start, when time is up we will come to find you."

We both turned towards the crowd and walked through as they separated, I stared Ivy down as we walked past her. "Be ready when you come Ivy, I am not ready to die." "Just watch your backside sweet heart, when we come it will be in silence." Dominick and I darted off into the forest and moved as smoothly and quietly as the wind.

We moved fast and swiftly through the branches and rivers as fast as we could not even thinking about stopping. Until the quiet wind whispered around us, we slowly halted cautiously thinking that possibly Ivy was not going to hold on to her vow. Gentle voices blossomed around us from everywhere. As if a private audience was talking right in front of us. Then I caught something, _these beings represent death, death is what we shall give them. They will bring too much trouble for our kind._ Somehow I thought if I spoke back it would make a difference, "we mean no harm, we do not represent death, we are what we are and only plan on passing through. No disrespect!"

At that moment the winds ceased to even exist. Then a glowing light came from within the bushes, a tall man stepped out. He had large white wings that expanded twice the size of his body; his chest was bare and wore a type of grass skirt. There were markings of some sort of tribal intertwining all over his body. So beautiful it made me feel UN easy to look away from him. Then his voice was so lovely I could sway to the changing tones "what do you seek here? Why do you bring death amongst us?"

"We do not bring you death, we do not even plan to stay here we are just passing through." "But the stench girl, I can smell death off of both of you, not the smell of a human." "Well human we are not human, Dominick is a vampire and I'm a well, I'm a witch." The angelic man just stood staring down Dominick and I. "I am Keanu, I am leader of the forest fairies, we are the oldest and most ancient fairies in existence. We stay hidden to keep peace in our forest land, and over take those who try to ruin that. You are welcome to pass through but you are not welcome to stay!" I pondered to myself how many times I may hear those words again today or anything like them. We bowed our heads to show respect and then took our leave.

As we left that patch of woods lights began arising from everywhere behind us, glowing colors of blues, pinks and yellows. It was so beautiful almost like fireworks going off in the sky. Eyes watched down on us from trees as we moved out of the forest into fields of grass and mountains for hills. I could think of only the lie I had just told, a witch I'm no longer just a damned witch. Then Dominick protested my thoughts "you are not what she wants, you will not bring about the end of the world, you are stronger than that and you know it. We will fight through this. After all I have the rest of my eternity to help you and enjoy your deliciousness" He gave such an evil smirk but yet I couldn't help but melt looking at him.

We continued on at a fair pace, not what we could do typically but fast enough we still had plenty of time. I knew Dominick hungered I could see it in his quivering lips, I didn't quite realize if I were hungry as well or what was going on with me, I hungered for meat, I lusted for blood and the temptation that was taking over my body was nauseating. Letting go of Dominick's hand I dropped to the ground. "You need to eat my love, if you don't eat you cannot make this impossible journey we are embarking on, and you will not have the strength to fight." Dominick need not say more my senses had caught the scent of a bear.

May not be gourmet but it was blood... We had subconsciously agreed because no sooner after my thought we were both tracking down the bears scent. Finding the bear was not hard but taking it down was going to be. It was a mother with her cub. I felt bad at the thought of killing the bears mother but at the point I was at it was me or the bear. The bear and Dominick both stared each other down pacing back and forth waiting for one to make the attack. I went to get the cub out of the way but as I grabbed it the mother pawed my shoulder and split me open in a few areas.

But due to my interference Dominick was able to attack the bear from behind and take her down. My arm had 4 huge gouges out of the shoulder, it hurt but for some reason I wasn't really bothered by it. It seemed to be almost healing instantly. The cub had run off when I looked back for it, part of me felt guilty but a bigger part of me didn't. I could feel the darker sides of me coming out more and more every so often. The feeling didn't scare me but the thought of all the things that I am capable of did.

As we fed Dominick kept his eyes focused on me with so many questions filling them. I knew this because I could hear his thoughts and all the questions he was thinking. It was hard not to snicker to myself with how many times he could jump to completely different subjects and so fast as well. I was beginning to feel urges to jump over the bear and kiss him but before I could he launched himself at me spinning to his back to pull me onto him. The rush still sent butterflies to my stomach vampire; witch whatever I am those butterflies still feel just as fabulous. I kissed him so harshly I split his lip, the combination of his blood and our passion was driving me insane. I raised my arms up and pulled my shirt off, then ripping at his. No matter how cold our bodies truly were, there was such heat and warmth emitting from us. And no matter how hot it got neither of us intended on stopping….

…"Ivy when should we head after them? Are you really going to wait two more days and give them the better odds? Stop snubbing us Ivy you have given them a day already that's more than enough!" More and more members of the haven began to shout, elves, witches, fairies. "Silence! They will have three days, no more and no less. The girl should start to change and shift into something different, something of what Lucinda wants. I hope that Dominick will take her down and we will have him back. Dominick is one of us, and cannot be swayed by this abomination. But if he truly is, then he shall die too." Cheers and rants rang so loud through the forests that day.

… The following day was so beautiful you would have begun to believe that everything was normal when you looked at the surroundings. But only if people really knew what lurked in these forests both good and evil. "Evil Chris, come now, really do you believe that there is evil out there." "Well, I don't know the fact that everything in their wants me in specific demolished, yea I do believe it is!" I snickered smugly; well Dominick just shook his head. "I hope that you do not truly believe that everything in there is evil, what's in there is hiding and building armies for the day Lucinda tries to arise with evil. We plan to fight them and send them back to hell. We are not evil we are the good."

"Why do you hide then Dominick? Why do people not know of you if you're so good? Is it not possible that they could be thought?" "We will come out from hiding, don't you see if Lucinda things that we choose to hide then be with the humans she will not expect our army to take down her evil. There are havens all over the world. Wolfs, vampires, witches, spirits, fairies, elves they all hide with each other learn from each other and prepare for the day Lucinda will try and walk the earth again."

Everything we were talking about was confusing me I was getting lost in my thoughts almost drowning in them. "It is of no matter! They are not evil; technically your evil and they are trying to save what's not evil, and keep the peace. And I am trying to find a way to show them you can fight off Lucinda's curse. I believe in you, I have seen into you and I know you have the power to fight her and the will." I smiled to satisfy Dominick and suppressed him from being able to read my thoughts for a few moments. Time of my own to myself, all I can think is can I fight this? Can I really and will I even get the chance to if Ivy and her haven is on our tails.

"We should probably start moving Chris, we don't want to give Ivy too much of a lead to catch us." I had no words to reply back with just an empty sigh. We took off at full speed again, travelling through all of the forests and hills to the peak of the mountain. Carmine would be waiting there for us when we got there. She planned on helping us through this battle, and showing the haven that my power and the very abomination I am can be used for good. Strange images and colors began to flash in my head. I couldn't piece any of them together, red and black flashes, and then flashes of sharp teeth, deep golden eyes they just kept repeating and flashing over and over until I screamed. I dropped to the ground trying to balance my thoughts and visions. "Chris are you ok, what's the matter?" "I think my mind is creating images or someone is trying to tell me something. I keep seeing golden eyes and sharp teeth grinning at me." Dominick glanced at me with a very odd expression. "Listen you can look at me like there is something wrong with me all you want but let's face it, that's not going to get us anywhere." "Who would be trying to give you visions though, everyone believes you're an abomination so who would try to help?" "Maybe they are not warnings or signs at all perhaps threats without words." Then my body seized up again, more images scrolling through my mind, the mountains, Carmine, the golden eyes and teeth. "Carmine she's in trouble Dominick its Carmine! Something is going after her." "We need to get to her before that thing does!" Dominick and I sped off in sync rushing to the mountains peak where Carmine would be waiting.

As we reached the cave entrance I could hear awful cries of agony. I went to run in to where Carmine should have been but Dominick stopped me. "What are you doing, Carmine needs us!" "No Christina, it's a set up look" he pointed towards the path to the right, "I can smell them in there, the mountain gouls. I cannot even pick up Carmines scent. She may be dead or never here yet at all." "Ok so what are mountain gouls then?" "That's just a name given to them by those who have forsaken them from their lands, fairies, elves, wolves, vampires. They have no respect for anything or anyone but themselves and will destroy anything they come across." Evil laughter rang out from behind us. In shock we both gasped "Carmine?"

"I'm sorry Dominick but it had to be done, she is one of those abominations so we are leaving her for them. And if you choose to try and stop us you can be left here as well." "Why are you betraying me Carmine, I thought you were trying to help us." "No Dominick I am the most powerful witch and this little mutt will not take my place!" Just then loud cracks and bangs rang out through the cave and Carmine was gone. Boulders and large rocks began to be piled up in front of the cave entrance. We were trapped and our options were to fight our way out of here or give up and die. I looked at Dominick for a reassuring look but he did not have one, he held no expression at all.

"Dominick don't break down now, this is going to need both of our strength to pull through." "Christina you do not understand, these ghouls are not to be tampered with, they fight cheap and in packs, we will be destroyed." I was so angry at the words that had just come from my love that my body started heating up, then the ground began to shake. What was I to think now? If the one person who kept me going and kept me strong was practically giving up. I started building up more and more heat, then the ground began to tremble beneath my feet. Screaming and howling shot out from all over the cave and "ghouls" began emerging and coming out of the tunnels towards us. They just kept pouring out one by one and studying Dominick and I, but the heat in my body just continued getting stronger and stronger. One came right towards me and sniffed around me and with no warning I just grabbed hold and sent it bursting into flames then to dust. Then silence….

"If a war is what you want then fight with us, but not against us for you will lose." A voice cried out "and why should we believe that, just because you burned up one of us, you cannot take on all of us not just the two of you." I glared at the crowd to find the holder of this voice but obviously they were hiding like a coward. "No your right we probably cannot take all of you on but we could take out quite a few of your numbers before you take us down. Or you can stand along side us against those who have banished us. We deserve to live freely in the world just as much as they do!" I could see that my comments had caused them to think and question my thoughts. Some still shouted out and opposed my offer some cheered for the offer. A tall scarred lanky man stepped out from the crowd. "This battle you speak of, how do we go about life if we win, how are we to know that you will not banish us again?" "You have my honor and word that will not happen, I just want to carry on my own life without being chased down or banished myself!"

The man nodded "what be your reason for banishment?" "I'm of a new generation, a mixed breed or mutt if you will. I possess power from the depths of hell, witchery and vampirism. Lucinda wishes me to do her bidding, but that is a whole new battle I will have to fight myself." I glanced to the grown letting out a sigh for I knew my battling would never end. "Well then what are we waiting for lets break down this barrier, everyone help pull away the boulders and make an opening." The man shot a look back at me again, "I hope you are prepared for the journey you are embarking on girl, because it is going to be one hell of an event." I just smugly shrugged so I did not let off any emotion of fear. This would not be something that would help benefit me.

Hours had begun to pass as wolves, elves, vampires and goblins continued to tear away boulders and store them in other parts of the cave. I began to hunger and thirst for food and everything around me looked like good prey. Shaking that thought from my head I felt a hand on my shoulder. Thankfully it was just Dominick, he took my hand and guided me through the cave.

As we ventured farther into the cave I could hear splashing and running water. "One of the goblins told me a water fall runs through this cave and that there is a lagoon holding many fish" Dominick pulled me along getting closer to the sounds I was hearing. As we rounded another narrow path in the cave I could almost smell the fresh water. We jumped in catching fish after fish, though it was not the type of meal I would prefer considering my last few meals it was still food to fill the void.

A little elf came around the corner a short while after to assure us that the opening wouldn't be too much longer to break down, but that everyone was resting and taking a break. I wasn't too worried this left alone time for Dominick and I. And soon enough the battle I was beginning to long for would erupt.

…

"Ivy, i've done as you requested, now grant me my freedom from the haven. I wish to travel away from here." Carmine blurted out pushing her way through the havens crowd. "Dominick? What of him, why is he not with you?" "He chose to stay with the girl and die." Loud cracks rang out. Ivy had gotten so enraged she knocked an oak tree to the ground with two swings. "I don't understand Ivy, I thought you said if he wouldn't come to leave him to his fate." "HE WAS TO BE MINE, YOU FOOL, MINE!" The words pierced everyones ears to the point some even dropped to their knees in pain. "He was to be the king of this haven a second leader to myself! He was our greatest warrior and now he has more then likely been ripped apart if not tortured first." Ivy rushed up at Carmine and grabbed her by the throat, slowly lifting her off the ground Carmine had already lost so much breath she couldn't even use her powers. After two short minutes you could here the crack as her neck broke.

All of the havens creatures stared in shock at what they had just witnessed. But dared not contest it and receive the same fate. Ivy dropped Carmine to the muddy ground signaling for someone to get rid of her. Alexander, a young werewolf was the only one to come forth to Ivy. Alexander was quite large in mass, completely muscular curves and lovely large arms that could easily wrap around her body twice. He had very short black spiky hair with one white streak through the bangs, deep dark set brown eyes that you couldn't look away from, he was every barbies dream.

"Ivy. You know I have the strength, knowledge and ability to be king of this haven. Let me take his place by your side and I will not let you down. I could be what you need, help grow and strengthen the haven well at the same time keep both you and I from further being lonely." "Alexander your offer stands out well to me but the haven would not stand for it." The haven was not so fond of Alexander he was almost banished to the caves himself, were it not for Dominick saving him. Alexander had killed one of his own, though it was in self defense it is for the elders to decide the fate of another haven member. "I'm good for it Ivy, and you know it, but I will not sit here and pressure you." Alexander reached his hand up to brush her cheek bone "consider it and let me know." Like the wind Alexander was off of two legs and running with four.

Ivy pondered the words in her head, believing that Dominick was gone and not returning she knew she was destined to either choose another mate or live alone. But also now that Dominick was not around, very few haven members possessed the strength of Dominick besides Alexander so who would fight my decision. She knew her decision was already made but she just had to speak with the elders now.

Letting the hours pass till the following evening, Ivy made her way to the elders. "Elders I ask your attention and presence." Ivy continued to hum and pray to the elders. Gradually one at a time each elder appeared before her. "Elders I ask your blessings in making Alexander my mate, and the future king of our haven. He possesses the strength and knowledge of Dominick and now that Dominick is no longer with us I believe Alexander to be the best match." Confusion was written across each elders face, "Dominick is gone? What do you mean by this?"

"Dominick chose to take his life along with the girl, the key." Disgust roared out amongst them all. "Ivy you believe Alexander to be the right match for your haven?" "Yes your greatnesses I do." "Then you have our blessings, but if he fails you both shall be banished to the caves!" In the same instant his words were ending they were all gone.

Heading back to the haven, Ivy still knew there was so much still to do. Planning the ceremony and crowning of Alexander. She couldn't really be upset with the choice, she would no longer be lonely and running the haven alone. Also Alexander was charming and very good looking how could she complain. Plans were made and set for the ceremony to take place within five days, on the Sunday before dawn.

…

After finishing our fish, I hungered for something more and Dominick's gestures suggested he felt the same way. He walked towards me leaning me against the wall of the falls and slowly began to pull my shirt up and over my head. The surges running through my body were so enticing and made me want more. Rolling from the wall to the ground I laid on top of him kissing his neck with the occasional bite and running my fingers across his jaw line. For bodies of cold blood being pressed against eachother we were certainly burning up. Heat simmered up from the wet rocky floor beneath us. Flipping over Dominick lay on top of me pulling off the remainder of our clothing and making the most passionate love imaginable. The feel of his lips on mine, then on my neck and shoulder. The feeling was pulsating through my body to his and back.

After an amazingly long hour we both lied next to eachother breathless. Then slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep together. Not knowing or considering what was going on through out the rest of the cave.

"I'm telling you Dean this is not a good idea, us up against the haven. We will lose, I suggest we let them free to do their own battling and keep our privacy and safety here." "Silence! We will fight not for their honor though, for ours. Our banishments were unfair and unruly. We deserve to be free just as much as any one of them."

"We shall rest up for a day feed ourselves and then finish breaking down the barrier. When we are out we will train through out the night and travel through the dark forests during the day." "The travel should only take three days if we keep at good pace and we shall have a final time to train. Then….We attack!" Hooting and hollering rang through the caves, waking Dominick and I up. "What do you suppose they are yelling about Dominick?" "More then likely their soon to be freedom."

The break wore off as the time did and we moved faster and faster to tear apart the barrier holding us in. Till finally after many exhausting hours we could see light from the moon shining in. Everyone got more incentive to move faster and faster until just a few boulders dropped down that we could step out and over. Goblins, vampires, wolves all began to pile out of the cave and down to the grassy hills below. Dominick and I followed out behind them, as the scarred man grabbed my hand. "Forgive me for this late introduction. I am Dean the Wolf and I am fully prepared to help get weapons and training up and going." "Wonderful if we all put the efforts in together it can be accomplished in good timing." I shook his hand. His hand also appeared to be quite scarred.

All over the fields partnerships were made to search for weapons and to train. Fires were set up, well some of the womanly creatures cooked foods and prepared fluids for the men and other women warriors. After hours of training and searching crowds hovered around the areas of food and drinks to relax.

I took my leave from Dominick and went in search of Dean. I found him munching on an apple infront of the creek bed alone. "Why do you choose to be away from everyone." Dean laughed, "it is not I who chooses to be away from everyone, it is everyone that chooses to be away from me." "But I don't understand, why is it they choose to be away from you?" "Most creatures and beings for take my scars as definitive markings of war, which is not the case. But still they stray away so as not to impose."

"If your scars are not from war then what are they from?" "It's a long story my dear, are you sure your all ears." I shrugged and nodded so he would continue on with his story. "My family, my wife and two sons were home preparing for supper one night well I was out hunting. I was hunting deer and what I found was a were wolf. Before I could let shots off it was on top of my body clawing and me and biting me. I was able to shoot after I was attacked and kill the beast but it lived on in me. I struggled to make my way through the forests to my home, sweating and bleeding and loosing focus of reality but I made it, sadly. As I entered the house my family rushed to my aid, my kids were running around getting hot water, alcohol and bandages well my wife dragged me to the couch. It all happened so fast, I transformed into a beast within just mere minutes. I attacked my wife and both of my boys, becoming one with myself. The boys bodies were too weak to withstand the pressure of the venom and they didn't make it. Soon after my wife and I buried them and began to travel to keep hidden from humans. The haven found us, they killed my wife, one of their sharp shooter elves. She was hunger and picked up its scent, when I had gotten to them both I was grabbed and locked up. After explaining my story they called me an abomination and sent me here."

"One of their kind changed you and that makes you the abomination, I do not understand where that would make any sense. Your loss must have been hard." "I know I shall see them again, but the least I could wish until then is to be close to them. To be home."

Silence passed over for quite a while, the two of us just sat there staring into thin air. I couldn't piece together the hurt Dean must be feeling, though I lost my parents I still couldn't imagine losing a husband or child. The hurt would be unbearable.

The silence eventually ended when we could hear more training in the fields and laughter and even joy from all who were no longer banished, and now free. I watched over the different crowds of creatures training, talking and laughing together. They did not seem harmful at all, sure they did in the cave that was their domain, protection would have been in order for anyone. What would compel the haven to banish them, it seem almost as if something was missing, all the reasons did not make sense.

"Christina, where are you?" I could hear Dominick hollering to me from amongst the crowds. I followed his scent to find him leaning against a tree on the other side of the field. "Sorry, I was talking with Dean, he kind of told me his life story. Its so sad Dominick, he lost his wife and kids to your haven. Why were they banished the pieces don't fit right, they don't even have logical reasons to have been banished."

"You don't understand Christina, once Ivy took over the haven rules, creatures everything changed no one could piece it together but no one would go up against Ivy either. The elders chose her for her strength and wisdom, anyone to oppose Ivy would be dealt with by her discretion."

Still thinking about all the information that had just been crammed into my head I needed to relax. It seemed everyone did because silence was all that could be heard from across the fields. But I couldn't rest I couldn't just think. Everything seemed to come as a distraction now, the winds blowing through the trees, the snaps and cracks of branches as animals moved about in the forest. Why couldn't I focus on what was going on, I couldn't keep the thoughts in my head.

Where would this war get us, if we weren't killed what would we do when we have won or lost? What happens then? Then visions started flashing through my head again. Teeth, horrible yellow eyes, blood curdling screams and it wouldn't stop. What or who was flashing through my head, these are visions I had never personally seen, only in my mind.

I seen a red glow coming from within some of the trees, it appearently was only me who could see this light because no one else even noticed. "Dom, im going to go for a walk." He went to get up and walk with me "No, just me I need some alone time. I'm sorry." For the monster he was his face was so long with sadness. As if I'd hurt him, hurt someone who's heart hadn't beated for years.

As crude as it was I shrugged it off and began to walk to where I saw the light. It was coming from just a few feet into the woods. There sat Lucinda, as if she was waiting for me all along. "Christina, come and sit down with me lets talk." "I don't make deals with devils like you Lucinda!"

"This is no deal Christina, you are already mine, you are a part of me that was not only my gift to you but also a curse you cannot shrug away." Gritting my teeth hard I walked over to where she was sitting and sat down. "What do you want with me, why cant I just go somewhere and do what I want and be who I want. Instead everyone wants to kill me or I have you who wants me to kill." "Christina you misunderstand me, I do not want you to kill, I want you to create. I want you to make others, the power you now hold is beyond anything ever created. I need a haven on earth and I want you to build it. Get rid of those who no longer use their powers for what they should be and create those who will."

"Im not as evil as you think Christina, I don't want the world to end as those may think, if that were the case then I would have taken up the mayors offer of you, you were right in the palm of my hands. I want to walk among the earth like all of you but I need to be protected, and that's why I want my own haven." "Help me Christina and it will be worth it to you in the long run, you can be on my left side and walk amongst all those who oppose with me."

"What about Dominick, I could never lose him." "What if I gave you my word you didn't have to? All you have to do is bite him and he is bonded to you forever." "But he is already mine." "He will never agree to our plan, but give him a taste of you and myself in his blood and that will all change." "Christina, it is not a hard offer to accept, with my help you can win this battle, without me you will all crumble and fall. And instead of banishment they will kill you for the attack. Take my offer, join with me and life as you know it shall be better."

I knew Lucinda was right, we could never win this battle, and we would all be killed. The options to weigh are to continue to let Ivy rule or for me to rule. "I accept your offer." A glimmer ran across Lucinda's eyes, and for all that I have seen that was scariest. She leaned into me and pulled my face to hers kissing me. Surges of electricity ran through my body. Some that hurt and kind of burned others that felt so warm and comforting. I fell to the ground with weakness and pain, it faded almost instantly though. "Go to him Christina, make him one of us, and when the war begins you will know what to do. I promise you. Ivy intends to be married the day you plan to attack, tell them of the wedding ceremony and that will be the time to attack. Trust me." The ground gave out a loud rumble and Lucinda was gone. I felt light headed and odd but fully prepared for what was about to happen. I walked out of the forest and stared across to where Dominick would be lying waiting for me. The air tasted bitter and cold on my walk through the field. And the noises that were never ending ceased to exist now.

When I reached Dominick I woke him up with my kisses, killing any chances he would have to be reading my mind. Instead he focused on my taste and my lips. I worked my kisses from his mouth to his shoulders then back up to his neck. I bit in hard, I couldn't resist the taste of his blood and helped my self to a sweet taste of that as well. "Christina, what has gotten into you?" Dominick pushed me off of him holding his neck. The area around his neck didn't heal like most normal wounds would on us, instead it turned black and puffed out.

"Im sorry Dominick but I had to, I cannot lose you." He laid back onto the ground flat again and began to convulse till his eyes rolled back into his head and then turned yellow. He let out a gasp revealing his fangs. Thats when I realized I was living my thoughts and dreams that had been reacurring to me. Silence past over again for a few moments until Dominick sat up and shook his head.

"Why did you bite me, what just happened?" Dominick continued to shake his head as if to shake out what ever just happened. "Im sorry, I was overwhelmed and I couldn't help myself I guess I bit you instead of a nibble. Im sorry Dominick, I really didn't mean to bite you. I have good news, I heard rumor that their shall be a wedding the day we attack, Ivy is going to be getting married. Then he just stopped and looked at me, " how did you hear of this?" The question stumped me as well. What answer could I give him, not Lucinda that's forsure. "When I was walking through the woods I heard fairies talking about it. That would be a perfect time to attack would it not? They will all be distracted."

"You are most definetly right we will have to tell the rest and plan a way around it." Dominick glanced at me with quite an evil smirk. He kissed me and bit into my lip. As instinct took me by surprise I ended up smacking him in the face because it hurt, "well if you wanted it rough you could have just said so." He launched himself onto me placing my back flat on the ground this time. He aggressively began to kiss and grab at me as exciting as it was I knew this was Dominick, this wasn't the vampire I had fallen head over heels for.

When dawn broke through again I sat up and watched it as Dominick went into a sort of sleep. We had just had the most amazing sex ever, and yet I couldn't help but feel abnormal. What had I just done, Dominick may actually be, becoming the monster vampires are imagined to be. And it would be all my fault that he was.

"Beautiful isn't it." A soft whisper came from behind me. When I sniffed the air for a scent I picked up Dean's right away. "It deffinetly is, nothing as beautiful as the rays shooting up throughout the sky." "Walk with me Chris, lets talk." We took slow steps down the hill biding our time and watching more training go on through out the fields. "Why did you do it?" I was in shock at his question, "What do you mean? Do what?"

"You know what im reffering to, I followed you into the woods last night. Why did you agree to Lucinda's plan, it is better to fight and lose with your pride then to take sides with the devil. In the end you are no longer you, you have given up all of your beliefs." "NO!" I growled and grabbed Dean by the throat. "Oh my god, im sorry Dean! I- I don't know why I did that." "Don't worry Chris you have only further proved my point, think about it before you completely lose yourself!"

With the blink of my eyes Dean was running off into the crowd of training. I couldn't even come to terms of understanding what I had just done. Why did that just happen. I picked up Dominicks scent when I breathed in so I assumed he was quite close to me. And indeed he was "Chris don't let him get to you, you are stronger now, better, improved if you will. As am I, ive felt better then I do right now. We have the power to take Ivy down now, and create a better, stronger haven." I was too lost for words so I just nodded my head in agreement. I wasn't in the mood to hear any more jabbering about power, and strength.

"Lets go do some more training and prepare for how we are going to attack tomorrow."

… "Ivy, we must speak with eachother. Tomorrow evening we shall be wed and what should become of our haven. We need to make it stronger, faster and more fierce." "Oh Alexander, it is our wedding we should consider first. The haven is good as it is, yes it can use more improvement but as for now it is fine. Let us be married and enjoy our new path together for a little while first."

Ivy glared at Alexander, not in an angry way but in a sad exhausted way. "You do not wish to marry me do you?" Alexander looked away from her. "Of course I do, why would you say such a thing my love. Our pact together will be the most amazing pact of all time, we shall rule amongst all rulers with our strength and wisdom."

"Then if you love me and wish to marry me, we will work on our haven then our path. You obviously agree and know that our pact will be so great, you just said it yourself. So it is the haven we should work on first."

"Alexander I have a large announcement to make tomorrow after we wed, once I have made my announcement we will move fourth with our plans then. I have far too much on my mind right now to be making or agreeing to so many decisions." "Ivy what are you saying, you are queen of this haven, that was your blessed position given to you, it is your duty to be on your toes making these snap decisions. At all times! Or any costs!"

"Well maybe, just maybe Alexander I am tired of it all. Maybe I want a damn break for once." Alexander stared blankly in shock " I think you need some space Ivy, allow me to give that to you." He bowed and left Ivy to herself.

Alexander walked through the woven paths in the woods debating on wether or not he should speak with the elders regarding Ivy's ridiculous behavior. That's when he heard soft sweet whispers ringing out from all around him. "Who is she to be queen and thinking like that, that is not how a queen thinks or the right attitude to be raising a haven on. You should take over, you have all the power Alexander and the right attitude. This haven could stand as the greatest haven, no not even haven, army. An army no one would want to embark on or come against."

These words sounded so true and good to Alexander, "show yourself, who are you and why do you speak like this against the queen." A lovely crystal white lady walked out of the bushes, her skin so pale and white it shimmered in against the dark. Long flowing black curly hair and emerald green eyes. Her beauty had swept Alexander straight off of his feet. "Do you not realize girl that you could be killed for such thoughts."

"I have no fear, and that is what is needed to succeed. Fearless strength and wisdom. Just as you have Alexander. Exactly what is needed to create amazing things. You could rule this haven alone. You do not need Ivy, she plans on abandoning the haven any how."

"You speak lies girl, all lies you need to bite you tongue and stop there." "I speak no lies, and I have a name, infact I have many names Alexander. I am also a great mind reader and this is true what I tell you. Her big announcement ring a bell to you dear." Alexander's eyes practically flew out of their sockets. "How could she, why would she?" "Listen hun those aren't the questions you need to worry about. Getting rid of her is. If you marry her and she leaves you are required by your vows to go with her. But if she is dead after you have been married, then you must find a new queen to rule your haven with you."

"Why should I believe you, maybe you just seek to be the queen." "I could care less about ruling your haven I have many of my own, I simply wish to see you succeed. You deserve it." "Well it isn't that easy, I cant just kill her because then I will be killed." The girl pulled out a vile that looked to be filled with blood. "This vile contains enough toxins to kill one hundred vampires, ghouls, elves, wolves you name it and it would kill it. Pour it into her wine glass when it is time for you to exchange each others blood, she will never know. It will just simply look like your own blood. It is seamless, they will never even know how she died, not even the elders will be able to detect anything."

She continued to step closer with the vile, "take it I promise you things will go the way you wish them too." Alexander reached out and took the vile and as he did she pulled him in by the same hand and kissed him. He felt surges of electricity fly through his body. "Wow that was the most amazing kiss ive ever experienced. What are you?" The girl just laughed and walked away the same way she came in. Her laugh was so evil and nauseating.

Alexander looked around to make sure no one else had been watching or listening in and then took off as well. No sooner after he was gone the girl walked back out of the bushes slowly shedding her skin only to reveal herself as Lucinda as she continued to laugh. "My work only gets better and better as it unfolds. Things are going to be perfect." ….

Training was going well, everyones strength was becoming greater, and their knowledge in battle began to excillerate amazingly. As it was though I had no fear, I had the help of Lucinda on my side, either way we would win. We would lose some in the battle but gain greater things. I still could feel Deans eyes on me every where I moved or went though. I knew exactly what would be going through his head. He was everywhere I was I could almost feel his breath on the back of my neck, but it was of no matter I knew what I was going to do and nothing would stop me. I would do this for my parents and for the good of our kind.

Hours seemed to be more like minutes now as the day flew by and turned into night yet again. Another celebration, crowds and groups of every kind gathered laughing rejoicing, plotting for the battle. Dominick's voice sprawled out above everyones voices until it was quiet.

"Yes we have trained well and practiced what we needed to but have yet to decide a way to begin the attack, and where we are going to come in and start from. The wedding ceremonies always take place in the elders bush. I believe we should wait until the ceremony has ended to begin surrounding the bush. They will be in process of celebration and not focused or concerned about the outside surroundings. I think that is when we should make our move. Any objections?" No one disagreed with Dominick, why would they he knew what he was talking about it was after all his haven. "Ok, so we will have groupings, wolves, vampires, witches, goblins. We will make our attack with each of our own kind and then break up once inside the ceremony. The elders cannot be killed they are far too quick, we will have to take down Ivy and whom ever else comes at us. When they are down we can convince the elders of our ways. They are all about strength, power and wisdom. And if we take down those who they think carry that, they will realize we are better choices. As long as this can be done we should be in the clear. If not we may have a larger battle on our hands. Is everyone prepared for this." Roars flew up around everyone. Cheering and screaming, this was really it our last evening before hell!

People were clearing back up into their little groups again to continue there celebrations. Except for Dean he just sat by that tree staring. I got caught in his stare as we locked eyes and stayed glaring at eachother for far too long. Dominick stepped in between our stares and embraced me with a tight breath killing hold. "Pay no mind to him Christina, he is just afraid, he shows too much fear. Which makes him weak, do not worry of what he thinks." I still couldn't help trying to look around Dominick back into Dean's deep stare.

The hours passed by quickly as everyone continued their training, soon enough it was night again. And we were beginning our journey to the elders bush. You could hear gathering creatures making there way to the area. We just sounded the same except from a distance to them, there for we had nothing to worry about they would expect nothing.

Dominick and I climbed a tree high up to get a view into the wedding, this way we could signal the attack. "She is wedding Alexander, I cannot kill him Christina, he was like a brother to me." "Then don't kill him stun him so he cannot fight back. But do not back out now Dominick we have come to far. Do not talk of others weaknesses and then show your own." Dominick gave me a very nasty snub as we both looked back on to the wedding. Vows were in the midst of being exchanged. We could hear clearly from where we were in the tree, on top of our extra abilities.

_-Do you Ivy take Alexander to be your soul partner for the rest of eternity? _

_I Do. _

_-And do you Alexander take Ivy to be your soul partner for the rest of eternity? _

_I Do. _

_-Please read your vows. _

_-Ivy I wish you to be by my side, day and night, for the rest of eternity, I wish you to be my love, my match, my soul mate until it is our time to rest. _

_- Alexander I wish to share my strength, wisdom and power with you and you alone, for the rest of eternity. But I wish to do so on our own path, far away, away from this haven. I wish to give up my rights as queen to someone else and live out the rest of my eternity with you on our own path. I tire of being in the position I hold. Be with me on our own path Alexander. _

Gasps rang out above everyone, even the elders were in shock, but however Alexander seemed to be so calm.

_-Alexander do you accept Ivy's vow? _

_I Do. _

_-Please fill each others blood viles, exchange your drink and kiss._

Watching them both drink their exchanged blood kind of made me sick to watch.

_-I now pronounce you soul mates for eternity. Please kiss and seal your love. _

Alexander pulled Ivy in to kiss her and then her legs just gave out and she collapsed in his arms.

_-Ivy, Ivy what's wrong, Ivy please open your eyes look at me. _

There was no response Ivy's spirit had moved on. "Dominick what happened what's going on?"

"I don't know, I don't understand. But well they are focused this is our best time to attack." Dominick signaled the groups for the attack. Screams, growls and cries blended together as everyone began to collide. Some began to fight back, some chose to run and hide. The elders disappeared and Alexander just stood and watched.

The battle was over quite quick our army over powered theirs like no other. Alexander walked through the piled bodies straight up to Dominick. "What are you doing brother, we thought you were dead." "Obviously their was no concern from you brother you did not bother so help me." Dominick snapped his teeth at Alexander.

"Dominick you chose that abomination over your own family, why would I come to your rescue when you were to abandon us so quickly." "Christina is not an abomination and she is my soul and my eternity now. Do not speak of her so poorly. This haven is still my family and I intend on taking it over and doing what is right and what is good for it. Ivy is obviously no longer an issue. Do you choose to fight me Alexander or do you choose to stand aside."

"Be reasonable Dominick I do not wish to fight you, but I will not let you take my crown. You may have been re born to this privledge but I was crowned. It is mine now, if you wish to work along side me for this haven it would be my greatest pleasure to have you, but you must get rid of the abomination."

Before Alexander could continue Dominick had pounced onto him and began to attack. They rolled around quite a bit on the ground before any out come had been decided. That's when I watched the most horrid thing I had ever seen Dominick do. Dominick bit into Alexander's throat and ripped half of it out with his mouth. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed him do, I now knew that this truly wasn't my Dominick any more. This was that touch of Lucinda I had given to him.

Dominick stood up and watched as Alexander's body erupted into blood and dust. He picked up the crown, blew it off and placed it on his head. "My queen" he whispered to me as he took my hand and guided me over to Ivy's body and ripped the crown off of hers and placed it on my head.

The elders re appeared just then. "Dominick we thought you to be dead. Why have you done this, we cannot decide what to do with you until we have heard your reasoning's. You were one of our greatest Dominick, we had such hopes for you. Why have you done this?"

"Great ones, I did this for you, Ivy planned on abandoning you, she had me banished and Alexander had not enough strength to rule your haven. Bless Christina and I with this power and I give you my soul and her soul into your hands. We can do for you what no one else can. We are right for this."

The elders whispered amongst eachother in language I did not understand. "Dominick, only because we know of you and your greatness, we offer you 3 months to show us the changes you can make with this haven, you and your mixed breed there. If you fail banishment will not be your punishment. Eternal death will be." They disappeared letting their last words echo, eternal death. I couldn't believe what we had just done. We had basicly killed our selves when we could have taken off on our own just like Ivy had wanted to do.

Bodies started bursting into dust and disappearing, all but Ivy's. Ivy's turned rock, stone like. As I looked over her stone body I couldn't help but feel some what sorry for her. She didn't even want to be part of this haven any more and now she died with those last thoughts in mind.

The ground sucked her stone body right down to hell.

"Christina, it is done now we have the haven. It is all ours and we can do whats right for our kind now. I love you Christina, forever and ever and the rest of eternity."

"I love you too Dominick" I kissed his lips softly as I was still struck on what had happened to Ivy. "To eternity my love…"

…."Yes to eternity my love" Lucinda toasted from a distance to a beast walking out from the bushes where we were towards herself. In a place where we could still not see of her. "My queen the stage has been set, things move quite quicker then we expected." Dean, the beast continued walking towards Lucinda's toasting hand. " Yes you are right Dean, wont be much longer now.."


End file.
